The trailer for the much-anticipated John Wick 4 teases a further expansion of the action series' unique universe, including reveals about John's family. The first three John Wick movies revealed very little about John's family background or how he became part of the world of high-powered assassins to begin with. The sequels could delve much more not just into its protagonist's family but also his past as a whole.
John Wick 4's latest trailer suggests a rough idea of the chapter's plot. After being made incommunicado at the end of return of Ian McShane as Winston and the introduction of Donnie Yen and Hiroyuki Sanada as apparent allies of John. However, it is Winston's line about John's family that is perhaps the most intriguing when it comes to the expanding universe of the John Wick movies.
Who Is Winston Talking About In John Wick 4?
In the trailer, John says that he doesn't sit at the High Table, but Winston mentions that his family does. This is the first time we've heard of this, but it helps to make some sense of John's origins. The High Table is presented as a long-standing and somewhat aristocratic institution, and John coming from a family of assassins would help to explain how he got involved in this secretive world and became so skilled and prominent within it. Introducing John's family could also help to expand the John Wick series' timeline and create some interesting character dynamics. The trailer also includes the lyric "I was the black sheep of the family", from the trailer song "Seasons in the Sun" by Terry Jacks, which seems like a very direct way of suggesting John rebelled against his assassin family.
Winston could also be referring to Anjelica Huston's character The Director, who was introduced in John Wick Chapter 3 as an adoptive mother figure to John. The Director is head of the Ruska Roma crime organization that John was once a member of, and she is described as having an "understanding" with the High Table. This understanding could include her being a member of the Table in some regard, or ing it as a way of showing loyalty after helping John in John Wick 3.
It is also possible that John is connected to the High Table through marriage and not blood. As explained in John Wick Chapter 2, John's late wife Helen has been described as a photographer who encountered John when he was working for Viggo Tarasov's criminal organization, but it's possible that she has familial ties to the High Table, which would help to explain John's notoriety and why he was able to live in safety while Helen was alive. The trailer includes a fleeting glimpse of Bridget Moynahan as Helen, so the third movie may re-visit John's marriage — which may be just in time for his second wedding.
Will John Wick Marry Into The High Table?
The John Wick 4 trailer also shows John in a tuxedo, with Lawrence Fishburne's The Bowery King suggesting that he is about to be "married or buried." This suggests that John's "reward" for winning the duel could involve marrying into the High Table as part of making peace with the shadowy organization. If the still-mysterious High Table is really an aristocratic organization, this arrangement could be compared to the political marriages throughout history.
John's family being involved with the High Table in some way could help to explain this marriage plot. If John's own relatives are part of the Table, then this marriage could be a way of reconciling two feuding families. On the other hand, if Helen's family is part of the High Table, then the new marriage could be renewing or recreating whatever deal was involved with John's first marriage. There's also a possibility that the "marriage" could be metaphorical, representing John ing the High Table itself.
Could John The High Table In John Wick 5?
The revelation that John's family is involved with the High Table could mean that the final resolution of the conflict is not John Wick defeating the High Table but rather ing them. The trailer includes discussion of the High Table adopting "new ideas", which could include bringing John in instead of trying to eliminate him. Participating in High Table duties, or even being on the Table itself, may be seen as an inherited responsibility for John that he finally has to face up to. With John Wick 5 already confirmed, having that movie be about John working for the High Table instead of fighting them could represent a new twist on the John Wick story.
It's hard to imagine someone as independent and rebellious as John Wick ultimately being happy as part of a cog in a larger machine, or audiences finding this a satisfying ending. However, having him temporarily be part of the organization could lead to interesting story possibilities, and provide a platform to set up the John Wick spinoffs. The conclusion of John's saga could even involve him becoming the Head of the High Table, or fighting to destroy the organization from the inside. The revelation that John's family sits on the High Table thus sets up a lot of potentially interesting directions for the series.
