John Wick 5, Anime John Wick & Caine Spinoff Movies Announced, Keanu Reeves Returning

Keanu Reeves is officially set to reprise his role in another John Wick movie as the franchise prepares to expand with multiple new projects in the works. 

The John Wick franchise recently celebrated its 10-year anniversary. Reeves has starred in four films as the titular hitman, and the cinematic universe has expanded with a prequel TV show on Prime Video and a new spin-off film, Ballerina, releasing in 2025.

However, this is far from the end of Lionsgate's plans for the action-packed franchise.

Multiple New John Wick Movies Announced at CinemaCon

Three new projects in the John Wick universe were announced during Lionsgate's panel at CinemaCon 2025 (at which The Direct was in attendance).

The most exciting announcement is easily the return of Reeves in John Wick 5. John Wick: Chapter 4 appeared to be the end of the road for the iconic assassin, but the Baba Yaga seemingly won't be kept down for long as Lionsgate has confirmed that Reeves will return in a fifth John Wick film.

The film is in early development and was described by studio head Adam Fogelson as the "next proper step" in the John Wick story. Along with Reeves, John Wick director Chad Stahelski and producers Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee are also on board.

Additionally, the studio announced an animated John Wick prequel film. The plot of the anime follows John as he undertakes an impossible task: to be freed from his responsibilities at the High Table and live out his life with his love, Helen. 

The animated film will be aimed at mature audiences and will take place prior to the events of the first film. Reeves will return to voice his character, and Shannon Tindle (Ultraman: Rising) will direct a script from Vanessa Taylor (Game of Thrones).

Reeves isn't the only John Wick cast member set to return. Lionsgate confirmed that a spin-off film starring Donnie Yen as Caine is also in development. 

Yen will reprise his role as the blind assassin and direct and executive produce the film. The Batman 2 writer Mattson Tomlin is on board to pen the script.

The Caine-focused film will continue the character's story that was established in John Wick: Chapter 4 and was described by Fogelson as a "Donnie Yen-style action film in the mode of John Wick."

In addition to the new John Wick projects, Lionsgate also provided a further preview of Ana de Armas' spin-off film Ballerina, which is due to release in cinemas on June 6.

How Will John Wick Return?

As those who have watched John Wick: Chapter 4 will know, the film ended with Reeves' assassin seemingly bleeding out in Paris after he was shot by Caine in a duel.

The film also included a scene featuring Wick's tombstone, further indicating the hitman died in the battle, but comments from the creatives involved in the movie may indicate otherwise.

In 2023, Stahelski told Comic Book Movie that they wanted an "ambiguous ending" and that they intended to kill the "character of John Wick or the persona of John Wick:" 

"We don't know if John's gonna die or not die, we knew we wanted a little ambiguous ending, and we knew, in his mind, the only way out was to kill either John or John Wick, both physically or emotionally, however you want to do the metaphor. The character of John Wick or the persona of John Wick [has] got to come to termination."

Producer Erica Lee said a similar thing shortly after John Wick: Chapter 4's release, saying, "This is the death of John Wick the character, but what does that mean?:"

"I have heard Keanu say that this is the death of John Wick the character, but also, what does that mean? Is that the alias of John Wick? Is that the assassin John Wick? I think the answer is we don't know yet."

These comments seemingly suggest that John Wick did die in the fourth film, but perhaps this was exactly what Reeves' character intended.

It may be revealed that John survived Chapter 4 by faking his own death and perhaps has gone under the radar to start a new life. Of course, that relative peace is unlikely to last long in a John Wick film.