One of the great things about the John Wick franchise, beyond Keanu Reeves’ stone-cold portrayal of the titular character and the way it has redefined how action is depicted on screen, is that it has introduced secondary characters that have garnered nearly as much interest as Wick himself. The most recent case of this has been Donnie Yen‘s blind assassin character Caine, who was first introduced in the most recent installment, John Wick: Chapter 4. Yen crafted a character that stole every scene he was in and, seeing the potential that Caine could have on his own, a spin-off was mentioned as being in development. Not much has been revealed about the project since its announcement, but now word comes that Yen is in talks to showcase his skills in front of and behind the camera.
During an interview with Collider to promote his latest film, The Prosecutor, Yen mentioned that he may be taking on double duty, starring in the spin-off as well as directing the project. Yen doubled down on this when Collider’s Steve Weintraub mentioned that John Wick director Chad Stahelski also spoke of his involvement beyond just portraying Caine in front of the camera. The actor and martial artist was flattered by Stahelski’s faith in him and confirmed the potential opportunity by stating, “It is true.”
“I think both the fans, as well as the studio, want this to happen, and we’ll see. I don’t know, Steve. I can only tell you that much. But yes, we are talking, and we are talking intimately. We’ll see what happens.”
Donnie Yen’s Caine Was Introduced in John Wick: Chapter 4
There is no doubt that Yen would be more than capable of taking on such an opportunity. Due to his skill set as an actor, martial artist, filmmaker and action director himself, he would be able to put his unique spin on the John Wick universe while also maintaining its integrity as one of the best action franchises out there. At the same time, he’s aware of the weight of the responsibility of taking on a beloved franchise like John Wick. Yen said:
“But at the same time, I hold responsibility as well as a pressure that I don’t want to ruin the franchise. I try to do my best to bring something fresh to the franchise itself. I don’t want to bring down the expectations for the fans. I try to do my best, like always.”
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Introduced in John Wick: Chapter 4, Caine is a blind High Table assassin and an old associate of John Wick. However, when he’s pulled out of retirement, he’s tasked with killing his old friend to guarantee the safety of his daughter, who Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont (Bill Skarsgard) is threatening to murder. Ultimately, The Harbinger (Clancy Brown) grants John and Caine their freedom from the High Table after the Marquis is defeated in a duel against John. Caine’s final fate is revealed during a post-credits scene when he heads to Paris to be reunited with his daughter but is then confronted by a vengeful Akira (Rina Sawayama), the daughter of Koji (Hiroyuki Sanada), whom Caine previously killed.
John Wick: Chapter 4 was a huge success upon release, grossing $440.1 million worldwide on a $100 million budget. It was also very well-received critically, registering a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes with a consensus that reads, “John Wick: Chapter 4 piles on more of everything, and suggests that when it comes to well-dressed Keanu Reeves dispatching his enemies in lethally balletic style, there can never be too much.” Spin-offs of the John Wick franchise appear to be the future of the brand. Yen’s Caine spin-off was announced in May of last year while From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, starring Ana de Armas, hits screens on June 6.
- Release Date
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March 24, 2023
- Runtime
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169 minutes