Keanu Reeves is officially returning in John Wick 5: Here’s how the hitman could be brought back from the dead

John Wick 5 is officially on the table, according to the latest announcement by Lionsgate at the 2025 CinemaCon. It comes only a few months ahead of the release of Ballerina, a John Wick spin-off film starring Ana de Armas as a ferocious assassin.

Reeves will share the screen with her, but he was not too keen on returning for another John Wick project. The latest announcement puts the ongoing speculations about John Wick 5 to rest, with Lionsgate announcing Reeves' return to the follow-up to his 2023 film. During CinemaCon, Lionsgate chairman Adam Fogelson said.

“Keanu, [director] Chad [Stahelski], Basil [Iwanyk], and Erica [Lee] would not return unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world.”

The producing duo, Lee and Iwanyk, further said,

“It’s so important to get this story right and give John’s story the proper next step. It’s exciting to take the first step on that road.”

However, Reeves' return in John Wick 5 seems surprising since his character loses his life at the end of John Wick 4. In line with this, he recently told Extra TV,

"You know, the character's dead. He died in 'John Wick: Chapter 4.' I know, in Hollywood you can... I know, I know, it's the Hollywood story. Right now, there isn't."

As the man said, Hollywood has ways to bring characters seemingly back to life or to explain how they never really died. In John Wick's case, it gets a little more complicated. So, let's try to break down how the infamous Boogeyman might come back to life in John Wick 5.

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How can John Wick be alive for John Wick 5? Speculations explored

In December 2024, Keanu Reeves had a conversation with CBS News during the promotion of Sonic the Hedgehog 3. At the time, Reeves was asked whether he would return for another John Wick film. The 60-year-old star quipped,

"You can never say never, but my knees right now are saying, You can't do another 'John Wick.' So my heart does but I don’t know if my knees can do it.”

However, the latest update from CinemaCon reveals that Reeves is indeed returning to the franchise with John Wick 5. It is still surprising considering the ending of John Wick: Chapter 4, where Winston (Ian McShane) and Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) stand next to Wick's grave. Bowery King also asks Winston whether Wick has headed to heaven or hell.

Although the film leads us to believe that Baba Yaga is dead, he might have faked his death. Bowery King and Winston's words hint that they were not aware of or involved in staging it. It may not be surprising to learn that Winston helped save Wick's life, even then. However, it doesn't seem highly plausible, considering the other equations at hand.

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Did John Wick fake his death in John Wick: Chapter 4?

The speculations about John Wick's existence post Chapter 4 hint at a theory that the assassin might have sought help to fake his death. Winston was always shown as his most trustworthy ally. However, the Director (Anjelica Huston) may have been his saving grace.

Huston's character will also appear in Ballerina, which is set between the events of the third and the fourth John Wick films. So, her connection seems likely to John Wick staying alive for John Wick 5. She holds a powerful position in their world and is not connected to the High Table, which makes her suitable to help Wick stage his death.

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Also read: "Working on a fifth John Wick film" — Lionsgate executive breaks silence around John Wick 5 and here's what we know