John Wick is a popular action series of movies starring Keanu Reeves as the titular character, John Wick. Wick begins the series as a retired hitman, only to be brought back into the world he left behind. The world of John Wick has grown exponentially since its introduction in 2014, so let’s take a look at how to watch every corresponding film in order.
However, before we do, it’s important to note that a tie-in video game was released in 2019. John Wick Hex was developed by Bithell Games and told a story that was set prior to the events of the first film.
John Wick
The first film in the franchise, John Wick, was released in 2014 and directed by Chad Stahelski and David Leitch. Chad Stahelski went on to direct the second, third, and fourth installments as well. Starring Keanu Reeves, Wick is introduced to us as a man who has just lost his wife. His wife, Helen, organized for a dog to be sent to accompany John after her death. When Iosef Tarasov, played by Alfie Allen from Game of Thrones, steals John’s car and kills his dog, we find out that Wick was in retirement from his career as a hitman.
Wick goes after the entire crime family, starting with Iosef Tarasov and ending with his father Viggo, the head of the Tarasov crime family. The film also introduces The Continental, a hotel where John stays and one which acts as a safe haven and a secret society of sorts for all the hitmen in the John Wick universe. The film also introduces Ian McShane as Winston, the owner of The Continental, and Charon, the hotel’s concierge, played by Lance Reddick. The film features Willem Dafoe, John Leguizamo, and Adrianne Palicki as well. John Wick is available to stream on Peacock.
John Wick: Chapter 2
John Wick: Chapter 2, which was released in 2017, picks up right after the events of the first film, as John tracks down his stolen car. He is soon confronted by the villain of the film, Santino D’Antonio, played by Riccardo Scamarcio. Santino was the one who orchestrated Wick’s retirement, and Wick had made a blood oath in return. Santino had come to collect and ordered Wick to kill Santino’s sister, so he could take her spot amongst the highest members of the ‘High Table’.
Unfortunately for John, Santino was setting him up, and Santino put a large hit on John after he killed his sister. For the rest of the film, Wick is hunted down by assassins, including Santino’s sister’s bodyguard Cassian, played by Lonnie Rashid Lynn AKA Common, and Santino’s own bodyguard, Ares, played by Ruby Rose. Lance Reddick and Ian McShane reprise their roles in the film while adding Laurence Fishburne to the cast, who plays The Bowery King, a crime boss who utilizes the homeless network to build an empire. John Wick: Chapter 2 is available to stream on Peacock.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
The third installment of the John Wick franchise was released in theaters in 2019, and the story picked up right after the events of the last film. Wick spends the entirety of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum running from the various assassins who attempt to kill him, as after the events of the second film, Wick is ‘excommunicado’ and cannot seek safety in The Continental or any outfit connected to the ‘High Table’. The end of the film sees John flee to safety with The Bowery King.
Many members of the cast from the second film reprise their roles in this installment of the franchise with six notable additions. Joining the cast of the third film is Halle Berry who played Sofia Al-Azwar, a former associate of Wick’s, Mark Dacascos as Zero; Asia Kate Dillon as ‘The Adjudicator’, Angelica Huston as ‘The Director’, Saïd Taghmaoui as ‘The Elder’ and Jerome Flynn as Berrada. John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is available to stream on Peacock.
John Wick: Chapter 4
It’s unclear exactly what the plot of John Wick: Chapter 4 will be, but based on the ending of the last film, it’s likely that John will be aided by Winston, Charon, and The Bowery King in a revenge plot against the ‘High Table’. Alongside those characters, several new actors have been cast, and some of their characters were shown in the new teaser for the film. Donnie Yen, Bill Skarsgård, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rina Sawayama, Shamier Anderson, Clancy Brown, and Scott Adkins have all been cast in the film. John Wick: Chapter 4 will release in theaters on March 24, 2023.
The Continental
In a new twist for the franchise, a series called The Continental is currently in production. The Continental is actually set to be a prequel to the first film, so it might be better to watch this before John Wick. However, as the series is still in development, you would probably want to start watching the film series before the fourth film hits theaters. Afterwards, when The Continental finally releases, you can watch it knowing Winston’s story with John from the films.
The first season of the show will be three episodes, each airing for roughly ninety minutes. The series will focus Winston from the films, but younger, and played by Colin Woodell. Ayomide Adegun has also been cast as Charon and Katie McGrath has been cast as The Adjudicator. The biggest star to be cast is Mel Gibson, and he will be playing a crime boss. There is no release date for the series yet.
Ballerina
The first spinoff film to be in production for the John Wick franchise is Ballerina and it will star Ana de Armas. The film is based on Anjelica Huston’s branch of the John Wick universe, which was introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. The release date of the film is unknown, but it can be inferred that it might come out between The Continental and John Wick: Chapter 5.
John Wick: Chapter 5
We have no word on when John Wick: Chapter 5 will release, as both Chapter 4 and Chapter 5 were greenlit at the same time. However, based on the other two unreleased projects both being in the midst of production or pre-production, it’s fair to say that watching this film last in the series will probably be a safe bet.
There you have it, the definitive way to consume the John Wick franchise. There are a few unreleased titles and a video game on the list, but this list is the ideal way to view them, at least for right now. Hopefully, the John Wick franchise keeps going as long as everyone involved wants it to — especially Keanu Reeves.
John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to release in theaters on March 24, 2023.
