Keanu Reeves returning to the John Wick franchise raised some worry over his replacement, but the latest Ballerina tease erases any concerns.

Custom Image by Yailin Chacon

John Wick’s death raised concerns about the Baba Yaga’s replacement, but Keanu Reeves’ role in the next John Wick movie removes these worries. Despite John Wick’s death in the action saga’s fourth installment, Keanu Reeves will reprise his role as the franchise’s central character in the upcoming spinoff, Ballerina. Given how vital Reeves is to the franchise, there was naturally apprehension about how John Wick could continue without its protagonist. John Wick 4 did give him the perfect sendoff, which offered Reeves the perfect way to exit the franchise, yet he will return in 2025’s spinoff starring Ana de Armas.

The biggest worry about Reeves’ return was that John Wick may return from the dead, but the spinoff is set to take place between John Wick 3 and 4, putting an end to these concerns. However, while this may be the best way of giving Reeves one last outing as the Baba Yaga, there are still concerns over who will replace him. The John Wick universe looks set to continue without its protagonist as Ballerina will be the franchise’s next spinoff after The Continental miniseries, but Ballerina‘s latest teaser suggests that John Wick’s potential replacement will be a worthy successor.

Ballerina Hints That John Wick Will Have A Hand In Training Ana De Armas’ Assassin

John Wick Looks Set To Train His Potential Franchise Replacement

Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhur

Ballerina‘s teaser hints at John Wick potentially playing a part in training Ana de Armas’ Rooney. New Ballerina footage was shown at CinemaCon, and while it didn’t outright show Reeves’ character training Rooney, it did seem to suggest the two would team up. The teaser indicated that Rooney may learn how to become an assassin throughout the spinoff in her quest for revenge, and with Reeves being a big part of the film, John Wick may be her mentor. This gives the characters a much-needed connection if Rooney is set to be the franchise’s next lead assassin.

Reeves’ involvement makes it likely that John Wick will teach Rooney how to be an assassin, which makes her a suitable replacement to lead the franchise into the future.

No Time to Die proved Ana de Armas’ Ballerina role could put her in contention to become John Wick‘s next main character. While there is a plethora of interesting characters the franchise could focus on, Armas was excellent in her Bond outing, proving she can play a compelling action star. However, throwing a new character into such a prominent role would be difficult without a connection to the protagonist. Thankfully, Reeves’ involvement makes it likely that John Wick will teach Rooney how to be an assassin, which makes her a suitable replacement to lead the franchise into the future.

John Wick Training The Next Generation Of Assassins Makes Him Staying Dead After John Wick 4 Easier To Grasp

The Next Generation Of Assassins Being Trained By John Wick Means He Still Has An Influence On The Franchise Even After His Death

Despite his death, John Wick still looks to have an influence over the next generation of assassins, making his departure easier to grasp. Continuing the franchise without its protagonist does seem risky, but Ballerina looks like it will set up the action series’ future perfectly.

Although they were already dangerous killers, both Tracker and Akira were somewhat influenced by John Wick, and Rooney looks like his next student. Although Ballerina may be one of his final appearances, John Wick training the next generation proves that the franchise can continue without him while honoring his legacy.

John Wick training the next generation proves that the franchise can continue without him while honoring his legacy.

Giving Rooney a crucial role going forward would show that John Wick’s philosophies still live on. Characters like Winston and The Bowery King will also help keep his legacy alive, but his fighting techniques and honorable approach to battle can hopefully be seen by the assassins he has influenced.

There are plenty of John Wick spinoff movies that would be entertaining while still honoring the protagonist, and Ballerina is the perfect start. Rooney will instantly feel more important through her connection with John Wick, and her combat skills will hopefully mimic the Baba Yaga’s to keep his memory alive.

8 Reasons Ana De Armas’ Ballerina Will Succeed, Despite John Wick’s 2023 Disaster

The highly anticipated John Wick spinoff Ballerina has a lot riding on its success, despite The Continental not faring so well with critics.John Wick & Rooney’s Meeting In Ballerina Adds Another Tragic Layer To His Death

Rooney Will Be Another Person Who Is Devastated By John Wick’s Death

Rooney meeting John Wick in Ballerina will only add to the tragedy surrounding the protagonist’s death. While being killed off was always a likely outcome in such an action-heavy franchise, John Wick’s death still felt tragic given everything he’d been through.

Even though he seemingly embraced his final moments, his death will still have a massive impact on several characters, with Rooney also being affected. The characters seem destined to meet in the spinoff, and with the potential of John Wick being Rooney’s mentor, his demise will likely hit her hard, especially as they share tragic backgrounds.

Meeting Rooney may feel like the closest thing to family for John before dying which makes their potential friendship more heartbreaking. With Rooney seeming to have an equally tragic backstory, it may feel like losing a family member for her, adding to the devastating impact of John Wick’s death.

The spinoff may even encompass Rooney’s reaction to finding out he died, making her all the more sympathetic. This relationship is one of many exciting things to expect from Ballerina and proves the spinoff has real value as it raises the emotional impact of John Wick’s death.