JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 4 Had an Alternate Ending but Test Audiences Shot It Down
Director Chad Stahelski recently revealed that he actually shot two different endings for John Wick: Chapter 4. They tested both endings with test audiences, and the one we saw in the version that was released in theaters, is the ending that the audiences liked more.
I was completely satisfied with the way the movie ended, but the director did talk about the alternate version and what would have made it different. If you haven’t watched the movie yet, you might want to stop reading for obvious reasons.
After John Wick (Keanu Reeves) wins the duel against the Marquis de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard), the High Table's Harbinger (Clancy Brown) decrees that the bounty on Wick's head has been lifted and he is free. Wick won his freedom! He was out and then all of a sudden, he seemingly dies.
The two endings that Stahelski shot for the movie were very similar, but one had a bit of a happier ending that offered a little bit of hope. During an interview with Collider, the director talked about how he wanted to give the studio an option. He explained:
"But you know, 'Let me try to execute it the way we are. Let me build the story around it and I'll do you a solid. I'll tell you what, I'll shoot the ending two ways, you know, with one extra little thing, two extra little shots. I'll let you know he's alive, and I'm gonna leave it up to the audience to decide, and we're gonna test both.' ... And they were super cool."
When the two endings were tested, audiences obviously liked one more than the other and the studio went with the one they liked more. The filmmaker went on to say:
"They let me go through the whole movie ... and you know, the test audience has definitely had a favorite of that, which is the ending that you guys saw, and it was nice to show and get actual feedback. And everyone was very understanding of that, and it was good to come to that conclusion together without having to fight it or force it."
Now, there is still a chance that Wick is alive and that he’ll be back. While it was explained that Wick is dead, the studio has said they aren’t ready to say goodbye to Keanu Reeves’ John Wick and if they want to bring him back, I’m sure they’ll find a way. The director also said that John’s fate is up to "[the viewer's] interpretation." So, it’s definitely left open for anything to happen.
What do you think will happen? What would you like to see happen?