The John Wick franchise will not last forever, and Keanu Reeves already created a very different action franchise to replace the series 4 years ago.
Keanu Reeves has been prepping for the John Wick franchise to end for years, and he created a very different replacement series for him already. Playing the lead role in the action franchise over the last decade has helped revitalize Reeves’ career in a major way. He’s earned plenty of acclaim thanks to his skills as an action lead that the John Wick movies put on full display. The franchise has been a major success for Reeves and one that many might think he would not want to let go of. However, with John Wick’s death in John Wick: Chapter 4‘s ending, the end might have already arrived.
There might already be discussions about how Reeves can return for John Wick 5 and continue leading the franchise, but it is only a matter of time before he truly retires from playing the hitman. When that does happen, it should be expected that Reeves will find another action franchise to be part of to continue utilizing his talents in that area. Rainbow Six could be Keanu Reeves’ perfect John Wick replacement, but the actor seemingly has another idea in mind. This is because he’s spent the last four years developing his own new action franchise to take John Wick‘s place when the time comes.
BRZRKR Is Meant To Be Keanu Reeves’ Next Big Franchise After John Wick
Regardless of whether John Wick 5 happens or not, Keanu Reeves has spent the last several years developing a BRZRKR movie. The film is based on a limited series comic that Reeves helped create. The BRZRKR comics launched in 2021 and follow an immortal warrior named Berzerker whose look is modeled after Reeves. It was confirmed shortly after the first issue released that a BRZRKR movie was in development at Netflix with Keanu Reeves attached to star. He has massive plans for the franchise, which include an animated series, indicating how this property will be used to fill the void John Wick eventually leaves.
BRZRKR is not meant to be a direct replacement for John Wick in terms of giving Keanu Reeves another hitman action franchise. The comics revolve around a man who is half-human, half-god and has spent centuries living on Earth with a curse for violence. The story spans centuries and gives Reeves a character to play who is much more powerful than John Wick. This means that BRZRKR will leave audiences and Reeves with a very different feeling than what the John Wick franchise has, but it will still manage to be a suitable action franchise that puts the star in alternate settings, facing off against more dangerous opponents.
Why The BRZRKR Movie Still Hasn’t Happened After 3 Years
Although the comics were announced to be in development in 2020, it was not until 2021 that the BRZRKR movie was officially put into development. The film will release exclusively on Netflix and hired The Batman‘s Mattson Tomlin to write the screenplay. Despite having a writer attached, a studio involved, and Reeves confirmed to star, progress on the BRZRKR movie has come slowly. In 2022, it was teased that Keanu Reeves could direct the BRZRKR movie adaptation. There currently is no director attached to the project, and that might not change until the script is complete and pre-production becomes imminent.
There are a multitude of reasons why the BRZRKR movie has taken so long to move forward. One could be that Reeves had been so involved in the making of John Wick: Chapter 4 that his attention was turned elsewhere. It is also true that any development on the BRZRKR movie had to come to a pause during the WGA strike in 2023. Now that writers, directors, and actors all have new deals in place, 2024 could be the year where progress picks up. The fact that Reeves does not have another John Wick movie imminent can also help spark the new franchise in the right direction.
Time Is Running Out For Keanu Reeves To Star In A BRZRKR Movie
BRZRKR might have an immortal, ageless lead hero, but that is not true for Keanu Reeves. He proved with the John Wick movies that he is still very capable of leading action films during his 50s. However, 2024 marks his 60th birthday, which could mean his time as an action star could be running out. Tom Cruise, Sylvester Stallone, and others have proven that the longevity of an action star can last into and beyond their 60s, but it does get more challenging.
The older Keanu Reeves gets, the more BRZRKR might need to change the story or even limit the action sequences. If that is to be avoided, the film adaptation needs to move forward quickly. Furthermore, if Reeves imagines BRZRKR as his proper John Wick replacement and a new franchise for him, the sooner it can get off the ground, the longer he can realistically star in the sequels.
