John Wick 4: It's Time To Talk About [SPOILER] In That Post-Credits Scene
Contains spoilers for "John Wick: Chapter 4"
After four films, five dogs, and a handful of High Table seats being vacated, the Baba Yaga finally bit the dust in "John Wick: Chapter 4." Parking himself on the stone steps all bloodied and beaten, he calls out his wife's name and (so we're led to believe) shuffles off the mortal coil that had been holding on to him for the past decade. But while the world may have lost its Wick, the assassins network and the allies or enemies inhabiting it are back in business, as are scores that desperately need to be settled.
One such feud that spills over following John's Parisian-based payback was between Shimazu's (Hiroyuki Sanada) daughter, Akira (Rina Sawayama), and the former friend that killed him, Caine (Donnie Yen). In fact, their dispute was so significant it got its own bit of screen time in a post-credit scene of "John Wick: Chapter 4," marking a first for the film series that we didn't expect.
But what does this sliver of a showdown imply for a franchise's future that, as far as we know now, is without its firearm-loving frontman? Here's where we break down what that could look like and how Akira and Caine could spark a new trend going forward.
That John Wick 4 post-credit came out of nowhere
Following the bloodbath at The Continental Osaka, which saw Caine cut down Shimazu, Akira swears revenge against her father's killer and isn't seen again for the rest of the film. It's not like he was keen to do it, of course, given that Caine is under orders to take John down or anyone else helping him for fear of his own daughter being killed should he fail to do so. It was in the post-credit scene that we finally saw Akira go in for the kill, hoping to get blood for blood, until a swift cut to black stopped us from witnessing the outcome.
It's an unexpected extra to the story not just because it follows on from the fall of Mr. Wick, but it's teasing a spin-off that isn't either of the two already confirmed. Ana De Armas' "Ballerina" and the TV prequel show, "The Continental," have been well-known projects in development for some time and we haven't caught a glimpse of either so far.
With that in mind, hinting at another area to push off from with this plotline is a welcome surprise, not only because it means more tales to tell in this world of markers, trackers, and tailored bulletproof suits, but because given the characters and story involved this could end up being a "John Wick" spin-off movie the franchise didn't know it needed.
Could Akira and Caine go from enemies to allies in their own film?
Since the beginning, Mr. Wick, for the most part, has been a lone wolf, only showing us one side of a story and teaming up with other gunslingers for only brief scenes, both in "Parabellum" with Halle Berry and Lance Reddick and in "Chapter 4" with Donnie Yen. Interestingly, these were highlights in both films and perks that could be replicated in a future movie with Donnie Yen and Rina Sawayama in a more detailed fashion. Not only could this potential project telling a complicated story pit two compelling characters against one another, but it could also see them working together as a team when the dust settles.
We know that Caine isn't a bad guy, and the actions taken against Akira's family were to protect his own. This could be the murky middle ground the potential enemies could meet on, just like Caine and Wick did, leaving them to unite and go after the High Table, the powers that make this world as cruel and cold-hearted as it is. Sure, Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård) may be out of the picture, but when it comes to that mysterious organization, that's a table that has plenty more room to clear, and Akira, along with Caine, could be the ones to do it.
Should they be successful, from there they could branch off into their own solo films expanding on a world that has so much more potential and, more importantly, so many more killer contracts to be completed. Tick, tock.