In the same way that Die Hard inspired a multitude of “Die Hard on a ___” knockoffs in the decade after its release, the popularity of John Wick has led to a new wave of action-packed revenge films that combine sharp humor, neo-noir sensibilities, intense shootouts, and well-choreographed hand-to-hand combat. While the universe is set to expand this summer with the release of the spinoff Ballerina: From The World of John Wick that stars Ana de Armas, it remains to be seen if Keanu Reeves would ever return to star in a fifth installment in the main series. The obvious reason for trepidation is that John Wick: Chapter 4 had a fairly definitive conclusion, in which John is killed after his final battle with the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgård). Although there is no shortage of iconic film franchises that have managed to bring back their main heroes to life, it would be hard for another sequel to top the incredible ambition and success that John Wick: Chapter 4 was met with.

The ‘John Wick’ Films Have Become Increasingly Epic

The John Wick franchise is unique because it has gradually increased its scale with each installment. It may be easy to forget now that the first film is largely regarded as being one of the greatest action films ever made, but the original John Wick was a very small, low-budget film that was nearly sent directly to VOD and DVD if Lionsgate hadn’t changed their minds at the last minute. After proving to be an underdog success, John Wick allowed director Chad Stalhelski to move beyond the streamlined, neo-noir mystery of the first film so that John Wick: Chapter 2 could be an international espionage adventure that began developing more of the mythology surrounding the High Table. John Wick: Chapter 3—Parabellum proved to be even more grandiose in scale; by setting up John on a race against time as he is pitted against gangsters and assassins from around the world desperate to collect the bounty that the High Table has placed on him, Stahelski was able to draw inspiration from both the mob epics of Martin Scorsese and the recent success of international action films like The Raid: Redemption.

John Wick: Chapter 4 felt like the culmination of an extended story arc, as the film forced John to question if he would ever know peace. Although each successive adventure had involved John continuing to cope with the grief that he had faced in the aftermath of his wife’s death, John Wick: Chapter 4 featured him facing a higher calling as he had to fight for the sanctity of the High Table in order to prevent it from slipping into the hands of evil. Stahelski clearly modeled the character off of the most iconic heroes in film history, which is evident by some of the direct visual homages to classic cinema; there is an extended desert sequence that evokes Lawrence of Arabia, a chaotic swordplay sequence reminiscent of Seven Samurai, and a thrilling final gun battle that bears a striking resemblance to the iconic conclusion of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

It Would Be Hard To Top the Action of ‘John Wick: Chapter 4′

John Wick: Chapter 4 reached a level of inventiveness that has been unseen in modern action cinema; between an overhead shot intended to look like a video game and a rigorous chase up the steps of the Rue Foyatier, it is evident that Reeves pushed his body to its physical limits. Even if a sequel somehow manages to hint at John’s survival, John Wick: Chapter 4 already reached a dramatically satisfying point in which he unlocked his fullest potential.

It would be hard for a fifth John Wick film to retain its sense of believability, as the franchise has always succeeded by keeping itself relatively grounded. The fact that Reeves and his co-stars do real stunts shows that there is a tactility to the series that has since been lost in franchises like The Fast and the Furious. While it will be interesting to see if Ballerina or any other spin-offs are able to take the universe in a new direction, John Wick: Chapter 4 is just as satisfying of a conclusive chapter that any fans of the series could ask for.