From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina is without doubt one of the most hotly anticipated films on the 2025 film schedule. As an enormous fan of the franchise and the world it has created, it was excessive on my checklist, too. I used to be a bit anxious about how the reported issues with the manufacturing, together with director Len Wiseman stepping away at one level due to a well being subject, would flip it right into a catastrophe on display screen.
I’m completely happy to report that it is not the recent mess I feared it could possibly be. Ballerina is definitely fairly good. It does appear, nevertheless, that the manufacturing turmoil has led to an actual drawback with the franchise’s timeline. Earlier than I’m going any additional, I’ve to make it clear that there will likely be main spoilers forward for Ballerina (and the third and fourth John Wick films, for that matter), so proceed with warning when you haven’t seen the Ana de Armas-led motion film.
Simply What Had been The Unique Plans For Keanu Reeves In The Film?
Since very early on within the improvement of Ballerina, we have identified that Keanu Reeves, who, after all, performs John Wick in 4 films within the franchise, would make an look. We additionally knew that Ballerina would happen between the third and fourth installments of the John Wick films. We simply didn’t understand how large a task Reeves would have, or how it could work into the plot.
Early within the film, Eve (de Armas) sees Wick come to the theater the place she is coaching with “The Director,” performed by Angelica Huston. What Eve sees, from a unique perspective, is what audiences noticed in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. Wick is branded over his tattoo, indicating he’s out of the Ruska Roma. As he’s leaving the theater, he and Eve have a quick encounter. I’ve to surprise if this was initially presupposed to be the complete extent of Reeves’ participation within the film.
Reeves Has A A lot Bigger Function Than I Anticipated
It’s well-known that the director of the 4 principal John Wick films, Chad Stahelski, stepped in after preliminary manufacturing wrapped to do re-shoots with Reeves, however simply how a lot work he did is topic to debate. Some stories declare there have been in depth re-shoots, however Stahelski himself has downplayed simply how a lot he did. Stahelski informed The Hollywood Reporter,
We simply went in for a few weeks. We modified a few of the motion sequences and made up for a while that Len simply didn’t have. He didn’t have sufficient time to do a few of the larger pictures that it deserved.
Reeves’ function is far larger than I believed it could be, with Wick showing in a lot of the ultimate act. Evidently no less than a few of this footage is what Stahelski is liable for. It’s also the a part of Ballerina that basically messes with the franchise timeline.
When Did That Closing Scene In Austria Take Place In The Timeline?
We all know the story is meant to happen between the third and fourth John Wick films, and the primary scene with Reeves within the theater seemingly confirms that, as we see the scene from Parabellum. We additionally know that Wick is in dangerous form on the finish of Parabellum, barely clinging to life after falling from the roof of The Continental. He’s actually not in any sort of form to journey to Europe and tackle a village of assassins, as he does alongside Eve in Ballerina.
Most hypothesis is that there are about six months between Parabellum and Chapter 4, and we all know that in that point, nevertheless lengthy it’s, he’s recovering from his in depth accidents with The Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne). We additionally know that Wick has been expelled from the Ruska Roma by The Director, but it’s Wick whom she calls to assist Eve within the village of their rivals. There is no such thing as a attainable manner that he may have gotten again in preventing form and again on good phrases with The Director in these few months between the third and fourth films.
Perhaps The Village Battle Got here After Chapter 4?
The one attainable rationalization is that there’s a a lot bigger time soar between the primary time Eve meets him on the theater and when he joins her within the mountain village. It has to come back after the occasions of Chapter 4, and after Wick has once more recovered from the accidents he obtained in that film.
Sadly, none of that’s made clear, so we’re left to surprise simply what’s going on. It appears totally attainable that the ultimate struggle scene in Ballerina may have come many months after the scene within the theater, as Eve has already accomplished each her coaching and her first mission defending the daughter of a wealthy consumer.
BUT – that’s not really attainable both, as on the finish of Ballerina we see Eve checking in to The Continental with Charon (Lance Reddick) on the entrance desk, and Charon was tragically killed in Chapter 4.
We’re Going To Have To Droop Perception Right here
Ultimately, there simply isn’t a solution to clarify how the timeline isn’t screwed up by Ballerina. Both John Wick could be too beat as much as be that highly effective within the village, or Charon has come again from the lifeless. Both manner, it is not sensible.
That’s to not say it ruins Ballerina or the John Wick franchise. Given the problems of the manufacturing and the movie’s delays, all of us simply should be okay with the glitch within the matrix, so to talk. This movie nonetheless delivers within the methods I wish to see within the John Wick universe movie, it’s just a bit irritating that the artistic forces behind the franchise have elegantly constructed a extremely enjoyable world, and this can be a blemish on it.
If you wish to catch up or rewatch all 4 John Wick films, you are able to do so with a Peacock subscription, which is how I made positive I wasn’t going loopy with these timeline questions.