Movies - TV
John Wick 4 Had an Alternate Ending, But Audiences Didn't Like It
By DREW TINNIN
Spoiler Warning!
This story contains spoilers for
“John Wick: Chapter 4.”
Director Chad Stahelski revealed to Collider that he shot two separate “John Wick: Chapter 4” endings for test audiences. Fans then submitted reactions that might have swayed Stahelski and Lionsgate to go along with a slightly happier ending where John Wick lives; however, early screenings indicated that a warrior's death was a fitting end to the series.
When the two endings were tested, audiences had a definitive answer on which ending they preferred, and the studio obliged them. Stahelski said, “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. [...] It was good to come to that conclusion together without having to fight it or force it.”
The final ending shows Winston and the Bowery King standing over Wick's gravestone that's been placed alongside his wife Helen with the words “Loving Husband” engraved, but leaves open the question if Wick actually died. Lionsgate is betting that the “Wick”-verse can now expand with new characters without them becoming entangled in a worldwide manhunt.