Despite Matthew Perry’s sincerest wishes, Keanu Reeves is alive and well as an elite killing machine in the next chapter of the ultra-violent but dog-friendly “John Wick” saga.
In the first official trailer for “John Wick: Chapter 4,” released on Thursday, the titular assassin puts an array of weapons ― nunchucks, axes, swords, his brooding stare, etc. ― to good use against wave after wave of enemies.
And while plot has never been the primary focus of the blockbuster franchise (we mentioned the nunchucks, right?), this time around Wick seeks to permanently shake the High Table, the organization that rules the criminal underworld.
“But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful alliances across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes,” the official synopsis says.
The villain in question is played by Bill Skarsgård, who, of course, is more than qualified as an evil clown retiree. His character seeks to challenge Wick in single combat for one last blood-soaked outing, which — if the first three films are any indication — will not end in his favor.
Cut to flashes of epic action sequences, with Reeves racking up quite the body count while riding on horseback, swimming underwater, crashing through windows and driving through the streets of Paris.
Only the movie can show if the new sequel matches the brutal excellence of the franchise’s most memorable moments, but director Chad Stahelski seems intent on upping the ante anyway.
“We keep finding new and interesting ways to have John Wick suffer,” Stahelski told The Hollywood Reporter about the upcoming sequel. “That’s where the action comes from. Figure out how to make him suffer, and then design backward.”
Reeves, who is also set to appear in the Ana de Armas-fronted spinoff “Ballerina,” stars in the film, alongside Skarsgård, Donnie Yen, Lance Reddick, Rina Sawayama, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ian McShane and his former “Matrix” co-lead Laurence Fishburne.
“John Wick: Chapter 4” arrives in theaters on March 24, 2023.
Watch the full trailer below.