Summary
Fans rejoiced at the news thatJohn Wick 5was definitely happening, with Keanu Reeves set to return as the titular hero, with Chad Stahelski on board to direct once again. There haven’t been any other casting announcements just yet, butIan McShane, who plays Winston Scott in the popular action franchise, has confirmed he’d be up for returning.
Ian McShane has appeared in all four John Wick adventures thus far, and he’ll also make an appearance in the upcomingspin-off,Ballerina, which is set to be released in the US on May 12, 2025. Ana de Armas will reprise her role as the ballerina turned assassin, and it’ll be set in between the events of the third and fourth John Wick movies.Ian McShane’s return in John Wick 5 is very likely, but the veteran actor has stipulated that it will only happen on one condition.
Ian McShane Would Be Up For A Return In John Wick 5 If He’s Still Alive
Rumors of a fifth entry in theJohn Wickfranchisehad been circulating for a while, despite Keanu Reeves' iconic character supposedly dying at the end of the last movie. The news was made official at last month’s Lionsgate presentation at Cinema Con, and it was met with excitement from the loyal fanbase. In a recent interview withcomicbook.com, Ian McShane was asked if he’d be back for another action-filled entry in the long-running saga:
If I’m still around, that would be a very nice thing.
McShane is 82 years old, and it sounds like he doesn’t take his life for granted, but he’d clearly be delighted to return to one of the best roles of his long and varied career if he’s still alive and kicking.John Wick 5 is set to go in a new direction now that the eponymous hitman has settled his issues with the high table. However, McShane’s character, Winston Scott, is vital to the story, with his strong links to John Wick. Not to mention, seen as WIck has now been confirmed to be alive, Winston is one of only two people who know the truth. Charon was with Winston as John Wick was laid to rest at the end ofJohn Wick 4, but sadly, Lance Reddick, who portrayed the character, passed away in 2023. Reddick’s final ever appearance will be inBallerina, alongside McShane, but he’ll be sadly missed in the upcoming fourth sequel.
McShane further added to speculation that he would be returning in John Wick 5, when he spoke warmly about his experience working on the action franchise:
I’ve loved it so far. It’s been a great, great 11 years. And, and as I said, it’s sort of like a family because we have the same director, same photographer, much the same actors with editions down again. But yeah, it’s been a it’s been a good trip so far.
It’s hard to imagine a John Wick movie without Ian McShane, and with the character still alive, there is no reason why he couldn’t return.McShane clearly appreciates the family environment on set, and if he’s asked to come back, he’d surely say yes. AfterBallerina, McShane’s next role will be in Tom Kingsley’s crime comedy,Deep Cover. As for the John Wick franchise, it’s expanding even further with anotherspin-off featuring Donnie Yen’s character, Caine. Sadly, the prequel series,The Continentalwon’t be exploring Winston’s backstory any further, with season 2 officially off the cards. Here’s hoping future Winston adventures will feature inJohn Wick 5instead.
