Bill Skarsgård Was Originally Slated For A Different Role In John Wick 4
When you're John Wick, mowing down nameless henchmen is all in a day's work. But Mr. Wick has more than hired goons to deal with — there's always a big bad causing him all sorts of problems and sending those henchmen out to kill. I'm sure all Wick fans have their own particular favorite main villain from the franchise, but for my money, the best of the group may be the most recent baddie: the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont, played by Bill Skarsgård. The Marquis isn't that different from the other bad guys John Wick faces — he wears a cool suit, he engages in the increasingly complicated mythology of the franchise, and he talks a lot about the High Table.
But what makes the Marquis so particularly memorable is Skarsgård's performance. The actor, one of approximately 400 Skarsgård brothers, is possibly best known for playing Pennywise the Clown in the "It" films. Just as he did in "It," Skarsgård really sinks his teeth into his villainous "John Wick: Chapter 4" role. With the help of a cartoonish French accent, Skarsgård lays it on thick, and it works like gangbusters. We hate this guy and can't wait to see John Wick kick his smug ass. But interestingly enough, when "John Wick: Chapter 4" was being put together, director Chad Stahelski wanted Skarsgård for a completely different part.
That's the fun role!
So who was Skarsgård supposed to play? According to director Chad Stahelski, the character isn't even in the final film. "There was one I was thinking about, it was an older script with a character we no longer have, thinking, oh, he'll just go for that one. It was a bit of an action role," Stahelski told EW.
He added:
"My former partner Dave Leitch, he used Bill on Atomic Blonde and during that process I got to meet him, and I really liked him, and I loved his work. Every time I [saw him in a film], I was just amazed about how he can morph his body and says a lot with non-verbal acting. I thought that was fascinating and that kind of fits with our world. I called Bill, I said, 'Hey, I'm doing another John Wick, maybe there's a part in it for you, If we'll send you the rough script, and see if there's anything you like.' I didn't say a word about which role."
As it turned out, the role Skarsgård liked was the film's main villain. As Stahelski tells it:
"He calls me back and he's like, 'I'd love to play the Marquis.' I'm like, 'No, Bill, that's the bad guy. You don't want the bad guy.' He's like, 'No, no, that's the fun role! This is the delicious role!' I'm like, 'Oh, right on!'"
Thankfully, Stahelski gave Skarsgård the Marquis role, and the actor was able to create one of the most memorable John Wick villains in the process.