'I don’t believe John Wick is really dead': Ian McShane sparks Keanu Reeves return rumours

Franchises are a way of sustaining a studio’s finances. They’re important—they bring in the big bucks, which then allow for other, smaller films to get made, some of which may never see the light of day otherwise. The more money these franchises make, the more films can be made. So yes, it’s good for the industry. That said, keeping them under control is something else entirely. John Wick started as an independent film, then became this growing franchise. The world kept expanding, and now the studio obviously wants it to continue. Ballerina is an extension of that world—it takes place between Chapters 3 and 4, which is clever. You’ve met Ana’s character before. Also, we needed a strong female dynamic in this male-oriented world. Ana de Armas is perfect—she’s done this kind of role before in the Bond film No Time to Die, where she played Paloma. She’s terrific with the action, becoming an action star in her own right, as well as being gorgeous and an incredibly nice human being. She’s going to be a big movie star—God bless her.

We don’t call them bad people—we call them complicated characters. Back in the day, villains wore black hats, heroes wore white. Now it’s all shades of grey. You don’t always know who’s who—and that’s more real. Keanu [Reeves] had an advantage. He’s got this special relationship with audiences. He’s well-respected and loved—not just as an actor, but as a person. Giving him a tragic backstory—a dead wife, a murdered dog, and a stolen car—made him even more sympathetic. So the audience was with him from the start. Ana’s character has something similar. Her family experiences tragedy, and I help her through it. That instantly puts the audience on her side. It’s a clever way to allow morally ambiguous characters to do things the audience wouldn’t usually accept—because they understand their motivations. In this one, both she and John come from the same dangerous family—the Ruska Roma. My character is a sort of father figure. You don’t know for sure, but there’s a hint. And no, I don’t believe John Wick is really dead after Chapter 4. These films always have a "finale," but that doesn’t mean it’s the end. If the franchise continues, who knows—you might see John and Ana appear together again. It all depends on what Keanu wants to do. And yes, every couple of years the phone rings: “We’re doing another John Wick,” and I say, “Great. Call my tailor in London.” It’s a good feeling. The team behind it—same writers, same director, same producers—has kept it all together. It hasn’t spun out of control, even as the universe expanded.

No, not at all. The first script was just a solid independent movie. You wouldn’t have someone like Willem Dafoe in it if it weren’t good. You go from big films to small ones—you follow the material. No one expected it to turn into this. It was all happenstance. There’s an old saying: Success has many fathers; failure is an orphan. Once Lionsgate picked it up and it opened in cinemas, everything changed. I remember watching it a year after filming while I was doing another movie in Atlanta, and thinking, “Yeah, Chad made a terrific film out of a great script.” But we never imagined we’d still be doing this 13 years later. It’s very gratifying.

No, not at all. It’s about time they brought in a female perspective. And it wasn’t done just to check a box. From Chapter 3, we already knew her—she was the young ballerina with Anjelica Huston’s character. So placing Ballerina between Chapters 3 and 4 is clever. You have a backstory—my character helps rescue her. There’s a history between us, and both John and I know who she is. Now, 20 years later, she comes back with her coin, seeking revenge. I think my character’s been waiting for her. As far as Winston is concerned, John and Ana are his two favourite assassins. He’ll bend the rules for them—though of course, there are consequences. Ana embraced the role completely. She’s fantastic to work with.

Franchises like this pay for other films. They let studios take risks on smaller, more experimental work. But yes, the landscape is changing. People love home cinemas, but they still want to go out and see big movies like this on the big screen—especially in IMAX. The theatrical experience is different. It’s evolved a lot since I started out 60 years ago, but the fundamentals are the same. We just use better equipment and shoot digitally instead of on film. Post-production is where the real work happens—editing, sound, colour grading. That’s what gives cinema its magic. Streaming misses some of that impact. Those films are made for smaller screens, and you lose something. The future of cinemas will be fewer, bigger venues. More IMAX, more spectacle. Smaller domestic films will find a home on streaming. But movies won’t die—they’ll just evolve. As for relevance? Everything is dictated by one thing: money. That’s the truth of it.