John Wick 4 casts Donnie Yen to star alongside Keanu Reeves. After being affected by the coronavirus pandemic and seeing its release date delayed to May 2022, the upcoming action sequel is getting back on track. John Wick 4 is scheduled to start filming this summer, with a globe-trotting shoot taking place in locations such as New York, Paris, and Japan. Ahead of production starting, director Chad Stahelski is taking care of the various pre-production responsibilities.
Each John Wick installment to date has expanded the franchise's universe by introducing new characters to the world. The fourth movie will be no different, as Rina Sawayama recently joined the John Wick 4 cast in a mystery role. Now, a big name in the action genre has signed on to the ensemble.
According to Deadline, Donnie Yen has been cast in John Wick 4. He is set to play an "old friend" of John Wick. Other details about his role are being kept under wraps for now.
The end of John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum saw John and the Bowery King gearing up for an all-out war against Winston and the High Table. The two will clearly need as much help as they can get given their current predicament, so it's possible John calls in some old favors and enlists the help of Yen's character. It will be interesting to see their dynamic unfold onscreen, as there's potential to learn more about John's backstory. Another hallmark of the John Wick movies is deepening the property's lore and mythology, so it sounds like Yen's character will flesh out those aspects. An argument can be made that after three movies, John Wick 4 could use less world-building overall, but as long as Yen's character is handled effectively, he should be a worthy addition.
Yen has made a name for himself as an extremely talented martial artist, demonstrating those skills in films such as the IP Man movies and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The John Wick films are renowned for their thrilling set pieces and practical stunts, so Yen reads as a perfect fit for the franchise. If he's portraying one of John Wick's old friends, there's potential for Yen and Reeves - two action icons dedicated to their craft - team up for a couple of sequences, which would be exciting to see. The John Wick franchise has only grown in stature since its humble beginnings as a sleeper hit in 2014, and Yen joining John Wick 4 is the latest sign of how big it's gotten.
Source: Deadline
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