The John Wick franchise boasts a large roster of some of the most hardcore characters in movie history. With world-class assassins, suave concierges, and wise hotel managers, there is no shortage of compelling characters that inhabit the stylish world of John Wick. But what are these characters without the phenomenal actors that bring them to life? The action franchise has had its fair share of well-known and brilliantly talented actors through its three-movie run. Yet, no film in the hit franchise has held a better cast nor a cooler roster of characters than the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 4.
Bringing back some familiar faces, John Wick: Chapter 4 is set to introduce some new characters into the franchise who are set to tangle with the Baba Yaga. With that, here is a quick guide on the new and returning characters to the John Wick franchise, as well as the stellar cast bringing said characters to life.
John Wick – Keanu Reeves
Once again, the legendary Keanu Reeves returns to his most awesome role ever, John Wick. The former hitman, referred to as “the Baba Yaga” is currently being hunted by the High Table, sending John on a world tour as he attempts to outmaneuver the High Table to finally earn his freedom once more. The role of John Wick revitalized Keanu Reeves’ career and cemented the actor as one of the best modern-day action stars. Reeves is perhaps most famous for his roles in The Matrix, Point Break, Speed, Constantine, and the Bill and Ted franchise, but his role as John Wick certainly blew all his previously iconic roles out of the water, and we are always excited anytime we see him return to his role.
Caine – Donnie Yen
For years, fans have been campaigning to see the martial arts legend, Donnie Yen make his debut in the action-packed John Wick franchise. Thankfully, our wish has been granted. Donnie Yen is set to debut his role as Caine in John Wick: Chapter 4. Caine is a visually-impaired High Table operative, who has a history with John that we can’t wait to explore. The Hong Kong action superstar, who brought MMA into mainstream movies, has had a mighty impressive martial arts movie career. Starring in the Ip Man movies, Flashpoint, SPL, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, just to name a few.
Winston – Ian McShane
The awesome hotel manager, Winston, returns to the franchise in John Wick: Chapter 4, played once again by the phenomenal Ian McShane. The manager of the Continental Hotel in New York and an old friend of John, was last seen shooting John off of the roof of the Continental Hotel, at the end of John Wick: Chapter 3. As deranged as it may seem, Winston actually saved John from the High Table. Ian McShane is perhaps most well known for his roles in TV shows such as BBC’s Lovejoy, Deadwood, and of course American Gods. Likewise, McShane has also had his fair share of movie work. Most notably, in Sexy Beast, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, as well as lending his voice in the first Kung Fu Panda movie.
Charon – Lance Reddick
Returning to the franchise, for what may sadly be the last time, Lance Reddick is back as the suave New York Continental Hotel concierge, Charon. Sadly, Lance Reddick recently passed away with Chad Stahelski, John Wick: Chapter 4’s director, and the rest of the cast dedicating the movie to him. Reddick is most renowned for his performance in iconic TV series like The Wire and Lost, with his most recent role being in Netflix’s Resident Evil series. He is also set to appear in the upcoming Disney+ series, Percy Jackson and The Olympians, as well as Ballerina, the John Wick spin-off starring Ana de Armas.
The Bowery King – Laurence Fishburne
The eccentric underground crime lord, the Bowery King returns once more to John’s aid, as he and John team up to take down the High Table after both were left for dead. Laurence Fishburne and Keanu Reeves have a lot of shared history together, as the two both co-starred in The Matrix movies. Alongside his fantastic role as Morpheus in The Matrix. Fishburne has also starred in classics like, Boyz n The Hood, Apocalypse Now as well as What’s Love Got To Do With It, which earned the actor a Best Actor nomination at the Academy Awards.
The Marquis De Gramont – Bill Skarsgård
As a brand-new character to the franchise, The Marquis De Gramont is a powerful member of the High Table, tasked with cleaning up the mess from the past three movies. Bill Skarsgård shot onto the scene with his haunting portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the two It movies. More recently, Skarsgård returned to the horror genre with his role in Barbarian.
Shimazu – Hiroyuki Sanada
Hiroyuki Sanada is yet another iconic martial artist fans of the franchise have been waiting to see debut in the John Wick franchise, and his role as Shimazu in John Wick: Chapter 4 could not be more perfect. Shimazu is an old friend of John’s and serves as the Continental Hotel manager for Osaka. Many may recognize Hiroyuki Sanada, for his roles as Scorpion in 2020’s Mortal Kombat, The Elder in David Leitch’s Bullet Train, as well as Ujio in The Last Samurai. Sanada also previously worked with Keanu Reeves in 47 Ronin.
The Tracker – Shamier Anderson
The Tracker is one of the most mysterious characters and assassins in the franchise, but what we do know is that he, like many characters before him, is out to kill John Wick. Shamier Anderson is perhaps most recognizable for the supernatural western series Wynonna Earp, the Jesse-Owens biopic Race, as well as Halle Berry’s directorial debut Bruised, on Netflix.
Killa – Scott Adkins
Among the many actors that fans have been waiting to make their debut in the John Wick franchise, Scott Adkins was certainly at the top. The martial arts legend, Scott Adkins stars as Killa, the German head of the High Table. Scott Adkins is an actor most audiences will recognize, and is an actor every action movie fan praises. Adkins’ role as Boyka in the Undisputed movies is undoubtedly his most iconic, with his appearances in The Expendables 2, Doctor Strange, Ip Man 4, and his many underrated straight-to-DVD action movies being where most casual audiences will recognize the action heavyweight from.
Katia – Natalia Tena
The John Wick movies do an impressive job building John’s compelling backstory, and John Wick: Chapter 4 delves ever deeper into his past, by introducing audiences to Katia, John’s adoptive sister. Katia, played by Natalia Tena, will certainly serve as a big helping hand to the world-famous hitman as he attempts to escape the High Table. Natalia Tena is most well known for her role as Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter franchise, as well as her role as Osha, in Game of Thrones.
The Harbinger – Clancy Brown
Even High Table operatives need to follow rules and regulations, which is where The Harbinger played by Clancy Brown comes into play. The Harbinger is a high-ranking High Table official who oversees the High Table’s operations. Many audiences will possibly recognize Clancy Brown as the voice of the Krusty Krab manager, Mr. Krabs, in SpongeBob SquarePants. Outside that, Brown can be seen as Captain Bryon Hadley in the classic movie, The Shawshank Redemption.
Akira – Rina Sawayama
Wielding a bow and arrow, Akira is the daughter of the Osaka Continental Hotel manager, Shimazu. Played by singer-songwriter Rina Sawayama, Akira promises to deliver some incredibly creative and badass fight scenes with her deadly bow and arrow. John Wick: Chapter 4 serves as Rina Sawayama’s movie debut, although the singer-songwriter did appear in the Idris Elba sitcom, Turn Up Charlie, for two episodes. Rina Sawayama has also done previous work as a model, and the singer-songwriter has reportedly recorded a song for John Wick: Chapter 4.
Chidi – Marko Zaror
Chidi, played by Marko Zaror, is the secondary antagonist and the second in command to Bill Skarsgård’s Marquis De Gramont. Marko Zaror is a Chilean martial artist best known for his work in Undisputed III and Savage Dog alongside Scott Adkins. But most audiences may recognize the star from the Marvel Netflix series The Defenders.
