Summary

• Monkey Man, produced by Jordan Peele, offers a Wick-inspired action-packed adventure.
• Sugar by Apple TV+, starring Colin Farrell, mirrors the gritty world set up in John Wick.
• Ballerina, the first John Wick spin-off, directed by Len Wiseman, connects to the main films.

John Wick is one of the best action franchises in modern cinema, but with Wick now seemingly permanently retired, it’s time to look to other movies that may take its place. John Wick was first released in 2014, and since then, there have been four mainline movies, and a spin-off series, The Continental. The movies quickly amassed a dedicated fanbase and helped to boost Keanu Reeves’ popularity as an action star once again after he rose to fame in movies during the 90s and 2000s.

Action movies have a long history in Hollywood, often creating some of the biggest stars of any decade, and this was repeated with the John Wick movies. However, John Wick meets his end in John Wick: Chapter 4, and it is likely to be conclusive. With one of the biggest action heroes in any franchise of the modern era now retired, it’s worth exploring new films that may be inspired by the series, or that have a similar tone and story for another action fix.

10 Monkey Man

Mythical Melee

Dev Patel’s feature-length directorial debut will also see Patel in the starring role, in Monkey Man. The film is also being produced by the horror director Jordan Peele and promises to be a hard-hitting action-packed adventure with dozens of glowing reviews already rolling in (via Rotten Tomatoes). The story follows a young man whose mother was brutally murdered when he was just a child by people who wielded power over those who didn’t have anything.

The stakes are higher in Monkey Man, considering the person killed was his mother and not his dog.

The story following a road to revenge from the main character resembles the first John Wick movie. However, the stakes are higher in Monkey Man, considering the person killed was his mother and not his dog. Where John Wick already appeared to be a highly trained assassin, Patel’s character appears to be a complete novice when it comes to fighting and spends time training to pursue his vendetta. Everything from the visuals to the gritty fighting is reminiscent of John Wick, and Monkey Man is likely to be a hit with fans of Wick.

9 Sugar

Sweet Justice

John Sugar appears to share a lot more in common with John Wick than just his first name. The new Apple TV+ original series, Sugar, starring Colin Farrell, is set to follow a private investigator who takes on a job to find a missing girl in Hollywood. While Sugar says more in the trailer for the series than Wick did in most of his movies, the aesthetic and the action do feel reminiscent of the world set up in John Wick.

John Wick sets up an elaborate world full of assassins and secrets that people keep close to their chests. Sugar is set in Hollywood, among movie stars, film directors, and other important people in the entertainment industry, and appears to hint at many of these people keeping secrets. Sugar seeks to unravel the natural order and complete his job, which also feels very like a Wick kind of move.

8 The Crow

Reborn Vengeance

The Crow is a modern remake of the 1994 movie which starred Brandon Lee and saw him tragically lose his life during production. The modern film stars Bill Skarsgård, who is famous for his performance as Pennywise the Clown in It, and also had a prominent role in John Wick: Chapter 4 as Marquis. When Eric Draven and his girlfriend, Shelley, are both violently murdered, Eric is given a chance to save his beloved and take his revenge on the men who killed them.

Once again, the common thread of revenge is at the heart of both stories, and while Draven may not have the same level of skill as Wick, his supernatural powers make up the difference. Wick is proficient at avoiding death and even when he is wounded, he usually comes out on top. Draven, however, is able to survive being repeatedly shot, and his body rapidly recovers despite mortal wounds. The story will likely be darker and more brutal, but the action feels similar to John Wick’s.

7 Boy Kills World

Brutal Ballet

Boy Kills World also stars Bill Skarsgård, but despite the hard-hitting action, it’s a very different tone and style to The Crow. Skarsgård plays the protagonist, known only as Boy, who is deaf and dumb. As a child, his family was brutally murdered, and Boy has dedicated his life to training and becoming a lethal weapon in order to take revenge on his family’s killers. The film is packed with comical elements that make the tone lighter, but the violence is just as intense as anything seen in John Wick.

Boy being a silent character is largely similar to Wick, as he tends to keep his word count low in every John Wick movie. The story’s focus on revenge is also another common thread between both, as well as a uniquely designed world that appears to have assassins in the open, running important parts of society and being able to influence decisions for the public. And Boy’s tremendous skills reflect the talents and intensive training displayed by Wick.

6 Daredevil: Born Again

The Devil’s Back in Town

Daredevil: Born Again
is a show that is set to follow a skilled fighter who has trained his body to be capable of extraordinary feats.

While John Wick is not strictly a superhero movie, Wick is an extremely proficient fighter who has refined his abilities to the absolute limits of what is possible for humans. Similarly, Daredevil: Born Again is a show that is set to follow a skilled fighter who has trained his body to be capable of extraordinary feats. Matt Murdock is a man on a mission to clean up Hell’s Kitchen and take revenge on the people who killed his father. As a hero story with religious overtones, Murdock struggles with actually killing people, but he also has significant anger issues.

Like Wick, Murdock is able to achieve things that most people would deem to be impossible. When injured, or facing a large crowd of enemies, Murdock is able to use his extraordinary abilities to take down his opponents and expertly avoid taking damage. The main difference is whether or not Murdock would pull the trigger, but otherwise, the series and tone promise to be something similar to the action found in John Wick.

5 Rainbow Six

Siege Specialist

Little has been revealed about the plot of Rainbow Six, starring Michael B. Jordan, but it is one of the upcoming films being directed by Chad Stahelski, the incredible stuntman turned-director who directed all four chapters of John Wick. The story is based on the 1998 novel by author Tom Clancy. The story has already been adapted for a successful video game series, but Stahelski’s adaptation will be the first on-screen version.

The movie is a sequel to the 2021 film Without Remorse which also starred Michael B. Jordan, but the creative team has been changed to create something that will go on to greater success. Of course, the connection to Stahelski will mean that the action is likely to have some clear connections between the projects. But, aside from that, the project is set to follow John Clark, who exists within the same universe as characters like Jack Ryan. With a world of action heroes and skilled fighters, it could lead to another franchise like John Wick.

4 Ghost of Tsushima

Samurai Showdown

Ghost of Tsushima is another film being directed by Chad Stahelski and set for release in the next couple of years. At present, no actors are attached to the project, but considering the popularity of the video game of the same name released in 2020, the fanbase for this project will be significant. The story follows a samurai who is tasked with defending his home, Tsushima, from the incoming Mongol invasion.

In order to protect his home, Jin Sakai has to choose between fighting honorably head-on and risking losing many lives or using less traditional and honorable methods of stealth to quietly and efficiently eliminate the enemy. Like Wick, Sakai is a skilled fighter, and he can easily assassinate and eliminate enemies with his stealthy abilities. The film promises to be an incredible and compelling story with plenty of action, similar to what was delivered throughout the John Wick franchise.

3 Highlander

There Can Be Only One

Highlander is yet another picture being directed by the very busy Chad Stahelski, although it is further along in its development than Ghosts of Tsushima with the lead star already announced and a team of writers attached. The film is a reboot of the 1986 Highlander movie starring Christopher Lambert as the last immortal, Connor Macleod. Henry Cavill is taking over as the leading man for the reboot and, thanks to his experience on The Witcher and other action roles, he is well suited to take over.

Immortal warriors from every era roam the earth to challenge one another and earn the privilege of becoming the very last immortal. This secret organization of immortals, all warring with each other to win a greater power, does appear to resemble The High Table within the John Wick franchise. Having highly skilled people who have refined their abilities over centuries puts the anticipation for epic and intense action sequences incredibly high. With Stahelski helming the project, it’s certain to be action-packed.

2 Civil War

Divided We Fall

Alex Garland, who wrote and directed Ex Machina, is releasing a project in 2024 that promises to be an epic action adventure. Civil War will feature a talented cast including Nick Offerman, and Kirsten Dunst in a new dystopian action film. In a future America that has been divided by rebels and those who remain loyal to the government, journalists have been planted by the military strategically to keep order and prevent an attack on the White House.

The movie is set to combine political dystopian with high-stakes action, and with the talented Garland behind the project, the story is sure to be equally compelling. Civil War may have many elements that make it different, but it also has some things that will be similar to movies like John Wick. The exploration of different factions working with and against each other resembles how The High Table and groups of assassins operate within the world of John Wick, resulting in an intense conflict between the opposing sides.

1 Ballerina

A Ruthless Assassin Story Unfolds

Finally, Ballerina is set to be the first spin-off movie within the John Wick universe. The movie will follow Ana de Armas as she plays Rooney, a talented assassin who is also a skilled ballerina. The character had a brief cameo in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, where she was played by Unity Phelman. However, very little of the character has been explored, and Chapter 4 didn’t make any direct references to her despite the spin-off having been announced ahead of the movie.

Ballerina is a direct spin-off from the John Wick mainline movies, but the movie will be directed by Len Wiseman, who created the Underworld series of movies and TV shows, and written by Shay Hatten, who wrote for the third and fourth John Wick movies. The movie will connect to the main films and feature cameos from many of the other characters, which means the world of assassins will live on through the spin-off. However, it is worth including here since it’s taking the films in a different direction from John Wick.