Age Check: Comparing Keanu Reeves’ Real Age to His Iconic Character John Wick
Keanu Reeves played the role of the skilled assassin John Wick in four films across a decade, but while the actor aged, the character did not.
SUMMARY
Keanu Reeves and his character John Wick share the same age in the first film, honoring the actor’s birthdate.
As the John Wick sequels have progressed, Keanu Reeves has grown older than his character.
Originally, John Wick was supposed to be 75 years old, but Keanu Reeves portrayed him younger.
There have been four John Wick movies so far, and the main character’s age doesn’t always line up with the actor portraying him, Keanu Reeves. Created by Derek Kolstad and directed by Chad Stahelski, the neo-noir John Wick franchise also has a TV prequel series, The Continental, an upcoming spinoff film, Ballerina, and more potential projects on the way.
The first film follows the title character, a legendary assassin who comes out of retirement to get revenge on the men who killed his dog, and each subsequent installment in the franchise has excelled at improving the John Wick world.
The skilled assassin John Wick is played by Keanu Reeves, and the original film proved to be a perfect fit for him and became one of the highlights of his career.
Reeves has been acting for four decades, and he has starred in many genres in his career, including romantic comedies, horror, and dramas, making many iconic films. However, Keanu Reeves’s action movies truly showcased his talents, with iconic franchises like The Matrix and John Wick, but also films like Speed, Point Break, and Street Kings.
Keanu Reeves Is 50 Years Old In The First John Wick (& The Character Is Also 50)
Keanu Reeves is the same age as John Wick
The first John Wick was released in theaters on October 24, 2014, when Keanu Reeves was 50 years old. Filming for the movie began in October 2013, just one month after Reeves celebrated his 49th birthday. At the same time, his character, John Wick, was also 50 years old when the movie debuted because both the actor and the character share the same birthday.
Although John Wick’s age is not mentioned in the movie, some scenes feature his file, which gives his birthdate. John Wick’s dossier appears in several movies, and it states that he was born on September 2, 1964, just like Keanu Reeves.
Often, actors are either older or younger than the characters they portray, but not in the first John Wick. Since the franchise is such a career-defining role for Keanu Reeves, it makes sense that screenwriter Derek Kolstad and director Chad Stahelski decided to honor the actor, giving them the same birthdate. However, while that works in the first film, it doesn’t continue in the rest of the sequels.
How Old Keanu Reeves Is In Each John Wick Sequel
Keanu Reeves becomes older than his character over time.
John Wick‘s timeline doesn’t change much, although the action spreads over four movies. The first three John Wick films take place within a week, although they were released several years after each other.
John Wick: Chapter 2 was released on February 10, 2017, almost two and a half years after the first movie, and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum was released on May 17, 2019. John Wick: Chapter 4, released on March 24, 2023, takes place six months after the third installment. Since the events between the first and the fourth happened the same year, John Wick is still either 50 years old or maybe 51.
Although the character’s age stays the same, Keanu Reeves’s age changed from the first film. In the second film, he was 53 years old, in the third, he was 55, and in the fourth, he was 59 years old. Whether a potential John Wick: Chapter 5 happens, it is difficult to fathom that John Wick will be able to catch up with Keanu Reeves’s age.
John Wick Was Originally Going To Be Much Older
It was difficult for Keanu Reeves to pull off John Wick’s original age.
John Wick is an iconic character, helped by Keanu Reeves’s flawless portrayal, but he was supposed to be older than he is. Franchise producer Basil Iwanyk revealed in his book They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog that Wick was supposed to be 75 years old.
Reeves loved the script despite his age difference. Scriptwriter Derek Kolstad added, “The first thing that Keanu said to me was, ‘Okay, Derek, I’m going to play him 35.’ And I’m like, ‘Fine.’” In the end, John Wick didn’t end up being either 35 or 75 and stayed at 50 years old throughout the four John Wick films.
