Archive link: https://archive.ph/2GrWo
“After the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th movie, making these films is so exhausting and it destroys Keanu, physically and emotionally,” explained Iwanyk. “By the end, he’s always like, ‘I can’t do this again,’ and we agree with him. The guy is just a shell of himself because he just goes off and goes for it. He was like, ‘I wanna be definitively killed at the end of this movie.’ We were like, ‘You know, we’ll leave a 10% little opening.’”
While I greatly enjoyed John Wick, and have been a fan of Keanu since Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, I wish they had not left it ambiguous (even if only 10%). It would have been a stronger ending than leaving it a little open.
On top of that, I think the best way to make sure a story is well liked in the future is to tell the story you want and end on a high note. Unfortunately, Hollywood is very interested in franchises and would be remiss if it allowed a potentially milkable franchise to end. Not leaving it open 10% would have prevented a sequel that tarnishes the rest of the franchise.
Finally, one of the reasons I think everyone was drawn to the original John Wick was its simplicity in story. John’s motivation was simple, and the story wasn’t bogged down by movies of lore/ canon. I would rather Keanu/ Stahelski come together on an entirely new project than make a John Wick 5.
He could just not be in the movies. No is an option.
That depends on what’s in his contract I think.