John Wick has proven to be one of the most impactful and influential action franchises of the past few years, following a retired hitman in New York as he navigates the corrupt underbelly of the city. With Keanu Reeves in the lead role, the series has undergone some major changes and stylistic switch-ups since the original’s release in 2014. With each passing sequel, the franchise has become more and more ambitious, drifting away from the grounded storytelling of the first and proving that the best John Wick movies are those willing to try bold new things.
However, the character of John Wick has also changed massively since his introduction in the first movie. Through conversations with the Tarasov crime family, and flashbacks from earlier in John Wick’s timeline, it’s revealed that the assassin used to be a deadly gun-for-hire. But later sequels ignore this part of Wick’s history, with only one instance in the entire saga of the protagonist actually killing somebody on another’s orders.
Chapter 2 Is The Only John Wick Movie To Show John Working As A Hired Gun
John Is “Hired” To Kill Santino’s Sister
Just like any good sequel, John Wick: Chapter 2 remains familiar to the story that came before it, while expanding this fictional world in bold and unpredictable ways. One of these methods is the introduction of Santino D’Antonio, another assassin who previously worked alongside John Wick on his final mission. In this sequel, D’Antonio cashes in a debt that Wick owes, using a “marker” to bring the protagonist back into the killing business and take out the former’s sister. It’s the only instance in the entire saga where Wick is seen working as a mercenary hired to perform a task.
The decision to introduce Santino D’Antonio in John Wick: Chapter 2 is a very intelligent one that indirectly reveals some important details about the protagonist’s past. Where the first movie shied away from these morally ambiguous aspects of Wick’s backstory, the sequel embraces them and cements the idea that Wick is a flawed character. He’s not just fighting for survival in this film, but rather as a consequence of his old crimes coming back to haunt him. It’s an interesting angle for the film, and it offers enough narrative substance to prevent the film from seeming repetitive.
Most Of The John Wick Franchise Has Been About John Dealing With Personal Matters
This Personal Aspect Elevates John Wick Beyond An Average Action Franchise
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For the remainder of the John Wick franchise, personal vendettas triggered much of the protagonist’s killing. In the first film, it’s revenge for the murder of his dog and the disruption of his retirement – and from the ending of John Wick: Chapter 2 onwards, it’s a fight for survival as the entire city is turned against him. This is undeniably more compelling than giving Wick a meaningless contract and watching him carry it out, but it works in the second movie because it’s such a contrast to the Wick we’ve seen prior.
Even in John Wick: Chapter 2, the hired contract ultimately becomes personal when he’s betrayed by D’Antonio and forced to take matters into his own hands.
Even in John Wick: Chapter 2, the hired contract ultimately becomes personal when he’s betrayed by D’Antonio and forced to take matters into his own hands. This is what causes him to break the Continental’s rule and murder D’Antonio on the hotel’s grounds; it was never just a professional contract, but Chapter 2 does an excellent job of making it seem that way for the majority of the runtime.
John Wick Not Showing John At His “Prime” Makes The Character Even Better
There’s An Element Of Secrecy To Wick’s Past
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The decision to kick off John Wick with the character securely in retirement is a bold one that easily could’ve backfired, but it ultimately gave this franchise its niche and worked excellently. Director Chad Stahelski gradually reveals details about Wick’s backstory that slowly change the way audiences view this character as the narrative progresses, which is something that wouldn’t have been possible if he’d merely opened the film with him in his “prime.” Everything we know about the assassin is through stories, which gives him an element of mystery.
There’s a danger that John Wick would’ve felt too familiar and predictable if the story had merely focused on his days as a contract killer, which is why Stahelski avoids it at all costs. The decision to weave this backstory into the present day through John Wick: Chapter 2 gives the audience all the details they wanted without actually showing them, using the character of Santino D’Antonio to give the exposition that John Wick intentionally held back.