Mel Gibson’s mere presence being used as a stick for scathing reviews to batter ‘John Wick’ prequel ‘The Continental’ into the ground

A John Wick project not directed by Chad Stahelski or starring Keanu Reeves is a risky proposition on paper, and it looks as though the first attempt at expanding the franchise without its leading lights is on course to fall flat after prequel series The Continental debuted to less-than-stellar reviews.

Of course, as an episodic crime thriller set in the 1970s it shouldn’t really be held to the same standards as the iconic assassin’s big screen adventures, but there’s nonetheless a certain barometer of quality audiences have come to expect whenever they see the Wick branding.

The mere involvement of Mel Gibson has proven to be a bone of contention among many, a lot of whom swore off ever watching The Continental upon discovering the controversial two-time Academy Award winner played a prominent role as the villain of the piece. Unsurprisingly, then, his name has been invoked more than once to paint the entire operation in an unflattering light.

It’s harsh on everybody involved in The Continental to weaponize Gibson’s name and his name alone as a means to tear down a three-part event a lot of cast and crew members worked extremely hard on, but that comes with the territories these days when you cast the polarizing star in a high-profile role, which don’t come around all that often during his regular stints into VOD purgatory.

For what it’s worth, there have been some glowing recommendations, but if you weren’t sold on Gibson’s presence, then it doesn’t look as if the end product is going to change any minds.