Fans are excitedly awaiting the next installment of theJohn Wickfilm franchise to hit theaters with the potentialJohn Wick: Chapter 5, but another sequel isn’t what the franchise needs. Not only would it be almost impossible to make aJohn Wick 5given thatJohn Wick seemingly died at the end ofChapter 4(though that was left ambiguous), but there’s just a better story waiting to be brought to the big-screen: a prequel.
In 2017, Dynamite Entertainment gave fans aJohn Wickprequel with thefour-part comic book limited series,John Wickby Greg Pak, Giovanni Valletta, and Matt Gaudio. The comic began publication after the release ofJohn Wick: Chapter 2, but before the third or fourth film installments. However, despite a few discrepancies with the established canon, the comic still holds up as an excellent prequel.
This comic tells the story of John Wick’s earliest days as an assassin, long before he ever left the business entirely or married (and then lost) the love of his life, Helen. The limited series also gives him an exciting arch nemesis who’s just begging to get the live-action treatment, and it explains how John established one of his most important friendships. All-in-all, this is a story John Wick fans deserve to see in theaters.
John Wick Prequel Comic Reveals How John Met Charon
The Prequel Comic Also Gives John Wick a Perfect Nemesis: Calamity
One of John Wick’s strongest allies in the films is Charon, the concierge at the Continental Hotel. Not only does Charon offer exquisite service for all of John’s hit-man needs, but he also goes above and beyond for John personally, including watching his dog inChapter 2and fighting alongside him while defending the Continental inChapter 3. In the prequel comic, it’s revealed why Charon is such a good friend to John in the films, asJohn Wick saved Charon’s lifefrom a gang of killers who were about to murder the concierge.
Not only did theJohn Wickcomic give John one of his greatest allies, but it also introduced one of his deadliest enemies. The plot revolved around John Wick hunting a gang of villains called The Three Bills Gang, and when it became clear The Three Bills Gang couldn’t compete with John, they called in another assassin: Calamity. Calamity used widespread chaos and destruction as a way of taking out her target, and was infamous for racking up a high casualty count. WhenCalamity and John Wick had their final battle, it was utterly explosive, and perfect for a future film.
If John Wick’s Prequel Comic Becomes a Movie, Some Changes are Required
Some Elements of John Wick’s Movie Origin are Different in the Comic
As previously mentioned, this limited series came out between the release ofChapter 2andChapter 3, meaning the majority ofJohn Wick’s origin storyhad yet to be fleshed out in the films before the comic took it upon itself to do so. For instance, John was raised as an assassin by the Ruska Roma. He didn’t grow up in a small town in Mexico as the comic reveals. Similarly, he was owned by the Russian mob until he won his freedom by completing an “impossible” mission for Viggo Tarasov. He was never a freelance assassin, as the comic asserts.
John Wick Full Timeline Explained: When Each Movie & Spinoff Takes Place
The John Wick films and spinoffs have been released over a span of ten years. The In-universe storyline has a surprisingly shorter timeline.
However, while there are some discrepancies, the overall story of John Wick hunting The Three Bills Gang, fighting Calamity, and becoming friends with Charon completely holds up, and could fit perfectly into the film franchise’s canon with a few minor tweaks. In other words, forget a potentialChapter 5, fans deserveJohn Wick’s prequel to hit theaters ASAP.
