With Ana de Armas set to star in the John Wick spin-off film, Ballerina, the audience had been expecting the movie to be led by the Knives Out actress in a more pivotal role as the lead character. But it looks like that won’t be the case anymore as Keanue Reeves’ return to the spin-off has officially been confirmed with him ready to reprise his role as the formidable John Wick.
And while Keanu Reeves reclamation of John Wick’s role in itself is a brilliant news, at the same time, it also reflects the sheer lack of confidence Hollywood seems to have when it comes to letting female stars fully shepherd action films without any hindrance.
Although more information about the gravity of the Canadian actor’s role in the spin-off is yet to be revealed, Collider has confirmed that he is already in Prague where the filming has commenced.
Keanu Reeves to return to Ballerina – a cause for celebration or a poor decision?
Up until now, it was believed that Ana de Armas would be leading the film, especially given the fact that the synopsis claimed that the overall plot would be based on the young assassin from John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum with Ballerina focusing on the revenge story of De Armas’ character.
However, with Keanu Reeves coming back to the Lionsgate spin-off, there are high chances of the Cuban-Spanish actress not getting the spotlight that a film’s main character ideally should, because let’s face it, the franchise is literally recognised through Reeves’ John Wick. So, it’s no rocket science as to who’s going to get the majority of the screen time; his comeback would naturally be followed by him playing the lead role instead of the Deep Water star.
See also: John Wick Spin-off ‘Ballerina’ to Begin Filming Next Week With Ana de Armas in Lead Role
It’s not a bad thing per se, on the contrary, the audience would definitely be thrilled to see The Matrix star return as the unparalleled assassin shrouded in a brand-new black tuxedo in the upcoming spin-off. But if the story has been promised to revolve around the life of De Armas’ character, then a John Wick narration of the plot would probably not be the best way to go about it.
It’s high time Hollywood placed enough faith in women to let them navigate action flicks all by themselves without their co-stars swooping in and getting more than half of the screen time.
Details about the John Wick spin-off, Ballerina
While Ana de Armas will take over the ballerina on the path of vengeance, Keanu Reeves will reclaim the role of the unparalleled retired hitman in the upcoming spin-off, and yet another actor from the franchise will be re-appearing in the film with Ian McShane once again taking over as Winston, who was first introduced as The Continent Hotel’s manager in Chad Stahelski’s 2014 John Wick.
With the Underworld filmmaker Len Wiseman at the helm of the movie and Shay Hatten in charge of the screenplay, Ballerina’s shooting has already begun in Prague. However, no release date for the movie has been announced yet.
Source: Twitter
