‘John Wick’ has been at the epicentre of action movies in the 2010s. However, as we move into a new decade, it seems that the team has decided on a few changes that fans might not like. With the primary writer now exiting the series, where does the series stand?
When ‘John Wick’ came into the scene in 2014, it was a breath of fresh air in Hollywood. It re-established Keanu Reeves as one of Hollywood’s most bankable actors with excellent direction and action sequences. However, with three hit movies under its belt, the series is undergoing a sea of change. How is ‘John Wick 4’ different from John Wick 1,2, and 3?
Highlights —
- ‘John Wick’ series sated to change
- The main writer of ‘John Wick’ exiting
- Is ‘John Wick’ loss MCU gain?
The Exit of Derek Kolstad
In 2014, no one knew Derek Kolstad. He had written two films before, ‘The Package’ was a Dolph Lundgren vehicle which failed to stir anything in the box office, and his debut ‘One in the Chamber’ was a direct-to-DVD movie.
‘John Wick’ hit a high from the first moment. Not only did it establish Derek as one of the best action-movie writers on the scene, but it also single-handedly brought Keanu back into the fold of A-list celebrities. As of recent reports, though, Derek is leaving his brain-child ‘John Wick’ alone when it comes to the 4th instalment of the series.
Derek Kolstad not writing ‘John Wick 4’ came as a surprise to him as well. In an interview with “Cinemablend” he said,
“No, it wasn’t my decision … they didn’t have to come back to me, and so, they didn’t”.
With the leading creator being told to leave the series, we can expect some significant changes to the ‘John Wick’ franchise, but what will they be?
The ‘John Wick’ Universe
One of the reasons ‘John Wick’ kept its popularity through three films was the world’s incredible connective tissue. In a world that deals with gangsters, assassins, and criminals, Derek Kolstad created a whole other world for his characters to reside in.
As documented by “The Ringer”, the series creates an intricate system and legalities that pertain only to the movies’ universe, making it one of the most complex movie series to come out in recent times, alongside MCU and DCEU.
The comparisons to the most prominent franchises don’t end here. According to the directors, the movie directly references mythological characters like Hades and weaves real-world mythos into the series’s world. According to a recent interview that Kolstad gave to the ‘New York Film Academy’, he wrote a love letter to his favourite movies through ‘John Wick’.
Since Derek Kolstad not writing ‘John Wick 4’ is a fact now, ‘John Wick 4’ might be unrelated to the earlier movies in surprising ways.
While the earlier movies might have indicated a somewhat happier ending for John Wick, the director confirmed with “Indiewire” that the end might not be happy when the time comes. In fact, in the same interview, he also presents the argument that the universe might not be expanding further to include more stories.
MCU Gains?
‘John Wick 4’ different from ‘John Wick 1’, 2 and 3 is not going to be surprising. However, with ‘John Wick’ becoming orphaned, some big news came for MCU fans, since Derek Kolstad moved on to writing ‘The Falcon and Winter-Soldier’.
The series has become an instant hit with MCU fans, and it has already featured some of the deep lore from MCU. As the series starts creating a spy thriller with action-adventure elements, ‘John Wick’ might have given MCU another feather in its already decorated hat.
Derek Kolstad not writing ‘John Wick 4’ means that he is free from the responsibilities that come with managing a large series like this. While Lionsgate might have moved onto other writers for keeping the series alive, MCU might give Derek more writing responsibilities moving forward.
Could Derek be one of the critical writers in establishing Sam Wilson as a new, more violent Captain America moving forward? Would he be the perfect person to introduce the world of MCU to its first R-rated film? Either way, Kolstad’s writing expertise will bring a much-needed new breeze into the wings of both Falcon and MCU overall.
Plus, Kolstad is not sitting still with his future MCU prospects either. He already has a Netflix deal and several movies in development.
Derek Kolstad not writing ‘John Wick 4’ will surprise many fans of the series. The writer who essentially birthed the series has exited the development process of ‘John Wick 4’, and this might mean ‘John Wick’ might not have a happy ending anymore. All is not lost. However, Kolstad is writing for MCU, and he might be bringing his expertise of action to another fan-favourite universe.
