The success of the John Wick movies casts a previous multi-million-dollar franchise in a harsh light. The Wick franchise kicked off in 2014 when Keanu Reeves debuted in the title role of the movie of the same name directed by Chad Stahelski. Stahelski returned to helm three feature-length sequels in the franchise, which has also spawned the spinoff Peacock streaming show The Continental and the upcoming movie Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas as a character originally played by Unity Phelan in the third installment of the main branch of the franchise.

So far, the John Wick movies have pulled off an unusual feat for any movie franchise by having each new installment outgross the previous one at the worldwide box office. Altogether, the quadrilogy has grossed $1.02 billion worldwide at the time of writing. This is enough to make it the 97th highest-grossing movie franchise in the history of the industry, outgrossing series including Wonder Woman ($984 million), Back to the Future ($964.4 million), Kingsman ($934.5 million), and Scream ($911.2 million). In addition to its financial success, it has cast a shadow on a previous franchise that has earned $855.2 million.

John Wick’s Sequels Were Better Action Movies With An Ensemble Cast Than Expendables

Both Franchises Are Packed With A-List Action Stars

Critically, commercially, and otherwise, the John Wick franchise has made the Expendables movies seem more disappointing in hindsight. Both franchises have quite a bit in common. In addition to both being action franchises that originated in the 2010s, they are currently evenly matched with four movies apiece and have both made a habit of bringing on a huge roster of A-list movie stars to join casts led by performers who have hugely iconic action roles under their belts.

However, the Expendables movies have already failed to live up to the lasting legacy that the John Wick movies have created. While the latter franchise is still finding success in movie theaters, the former peaked commercially with its second installment and the most recent movie – 2023’s Expend4bles – was a financial flop, grossing just $51.1 million worldwide against a budget of $100 million. This took place in the same year that John Wick: Chapter 4 earned the best opening weekend for an R-rated movie since March 2020 and went on to gross $440.1 million worldwide.

John Wick’s Movies Have Lived Up To The Quality Of Their Cast (The Expendables Hasn’t)

There Are Oscar Nominees In Both Action Franchises

This disparity in quality and overall reception has taken place despite the ensembles of both franchises being evenly matched. The Expendables cast assembled a huge roster of action talent that included icons of the genre such as Jason Statham (Crank), Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator), Dolph Lundgren (Rocky IV), Jet Li (Fearless), Bruce Willis (Die Hard), and three-time Oscar nominee Sylvester Stallone, who directed and co-wrote the first movie. Over the years, they also brought on more fresh-faced talent including Liam Hemsworth, Kellan Lutz, Megan Fox, and Glen Powell.

Especially in the sequels, the John Wick franchise has taken a similar approach to casting. Major figures from the action genre who have joined the cast of the sequels include Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix), Donnie Yen (Ip Man), and Scott Adkins, who also played a role in The Expendables 2. However, the later franchise has performed considerably better in terms of overall reception over time. Below, see how every installment in both franchises has performed with critics and audiences on the review aggregator service Rotten Tomatoes:

Title
RT Critic Score
RT Audience Score

The Expendables (2010)
42%
64%

The Expendables 2 (2012)
32%
48%

The Expendables 3 (2014)
67%
67%

Expend4bles (2023)
14%
70%

John Wick (2014)
86%
81%

John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017)
89%
85%

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019)
89%
86%

John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
94%
93%

The Continental (2023)
63%
78%

Why John Wick Succeeded Where The Expendables Failed

The John Wick Movies Take A Different Approach To The Material

Ultimately it doesn’t seem that either the Expendables or John Wick cast members are necessarily behind the fact that the franchises have such vastly different receptions. They are reasonably evenly matched, so one reason that the latter franchise has performed better, earning entirely Fresh scores on Rotten Tomatoes compared to the former’s quartet of splats, may be the fact that Wick doesn’t lean in on the casting gimmick as its single best asset. The movies present themselves on their own terms, so they are known for their aesthetic and action sensibilities just as much as their casts.

Stahelski’s sensibility seems to connect with audiences consistently well…

Another possible reason for the John Wick movies having a more consistent reception is the fact that they have all had a single major creative force guiding them. Stahelski’s sensibility seems to connect with audiences consistently well, which is corroborated by the fact that The Contintental, which he didn’t direct, has not performed as well as the movies. If Ballerina, which was directed by Len Wiseman, sees a similar slip in the ratings, this may be proof that Stahelski’s vision and the way he collaborates with his cast may be a key ingredient for the franchise.