After a relentless four-chapter descent into ultra-violent mythology, the John Wick franchise is gearing up for what may be its most ambitious pivot yet. Chapter 5 isn’t just another round of bullet ballet and relentless takedowns—it’s a reinvention. And based on what director Chad Stahelski has revealed, this next installment will break free from the shadow of the High Table and take the Baba Yaga into uncharted territory.
John Wick 5 Breaks Free From The High Table Conflict
It’s hard to overstate how central the High Table has been to John Wick’s world since the first film hit theaters in 2014. This shadowy council of crime lords has pulled the strings behind every contract, every massacre, and every blood-soaked hallway that Keanu Reeves’ titular assassin has navigated. But with Chapter 4 seemingly closing that chapter—literally—with Wick’s apparent death and the elimination of the Marquis, Stahelski confirms that Chapter 5 will not continue that storyline.
“The saga of John Wick was pretty wrapped up,” Stahelski told Empire. “So the only way to do a 5 is to have a new story that involves John Wick. It’s not a continuation, with the High Table. John dealt with his grief. It will be really different, and everybody [will] see the trailer and go, ‘Holy fuck... I gotta see that.’”
Simply put, John Wick 5 isn’t about the High Table anymore. And that’s not just a plot shift—it’s a liberation for the entire franchise.
How John Wick 5 Could Serve As A Soft Reboot For The Series
That the High Table is being left in the past opens up endless possibilities. For four films, we watched Wick wage war against an entire ecosystem of assassins and enforcers controlled by an organization that defined the rules of engagement. Now, with that gone, Wick is a (supposedly) free man. Or at least, free from the one thing that anchored his descent into the assassin underworld.
Screen Rant wisely points out that this may be the franchise’s chance to reboot itself without a reboot. By introducing a new antagonist, or perhaps even a new kind of threat, John Wick 5 can pivot from being a trilogy-turned-quaternary into something more mythic. A new story that doesn't just reuse Wick’s skill set, but challenges it in a way that feels fresh.
And that’s key. After the emotional weight of Wick’s sacrifice in Paris, bringing him back for another fight—but one with a different purpose—could transform what this character means in the genre landscape. It’s no longer about revenge. It’s about reinvention.
The Wick-iverse Expands With Spin-Offs That Set Up Chapter 5
While fans wait for Chapter 5, the wider Wick-verse is exploding with content. June 6th will see Ballerina hit theaters, starring Ana de Armas as a deadly assassin trained in the same ruthless traditions as Wick. And yes, Keanu Reeves will make an appearance. Whether it’s a cameo or something more, Ballerina’s inclusion of John Wick teases how interconnected these stories will be.
Then there’s the animated prequel film, which promises to dive into Wick’s early escape from the assassin life—a narrative ground that the main films have only glimpsed. And the Under The High Table TV series, set to premiere on Starz, will explore the world immediately after Chapter 4. Stahelski calls the series and the animation “big priorities,” adding that they’ll “catapult us forward into the ideas for John 5.”
In other words, these aren’t just side projects. They’re narrative launchpads. The kind of world-building that Marvel and DC have been perfecting in their universes, Stahelski is now applying to Wick’s world—and it couldn’t be more thrilling.
Bringing John Wick Back From The Dead—And Making It Count
There’s always a risk when a character’s story seems complete—and fans have to wrestle with the idea of a sequel that undoes that closure. But the hope, and the early signs, suggest that John Wick 5 isn’t looking to retread old ground. It’s aiming to start something new.
By crafting “a new story that involves John Wick,” Stahelski may be turning what looked like a genre exhaustion into a creative rebirth. And with Keanu Reeves back in the saddle, there’s every reason to believe that this next chapter will deliver the same mix of style, substance, and sheer cool that’s defined the series.
Whether it’s a new villain, a new alliance, or a new kind of underworld code, one thing is clear: John Wick 5 isn’t just coming back. It’s coming back with a purpose. And for a character who’s been buried metaphorically and literally, that purpose just might make him unstoppable once again.