John Wick 4 casts Mortal Kombat star Hiroyuki Sanada. Keanu Reeves first played the cold-blooded but dog-loving assassin in 2014’s John Wick. The 2017 sequel John Wick: Chapter 2 upped the ante on the original sleeper hit, then 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum upped it even more.
The third chapter in the John Wick franchise raised the stakes so high it’s actually somewhat hard to imagine the action getting any wilder for the upcoming sequel John Wick: Chapter 4. It remains to be seen what Reeves and Chad Stahelski have in store for fans action-wise when John Wick returns but it’s certain the movie has assembled an amazing cast around the main star. In just the past few weeks it’s been revealed that the movie has built out its roster of actors with pop star Rina Sawayama, martial arts legend Donnie Yen, Stowaway standout Shamier Anderson and the ever-intriguing Bill Skarsgård. That’s in addition to a returning Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King. Most recently, it was reported the film is also looking to add Wesley Snipes as a sword-wielding character.
It’s not yet known if Snipes will be picking up his blade and joining the mayhem set to go down in John Wick: Chapter 4. But (per Deadline) it’s certain that Mortal Kombat star Sanada will be part of the action for the newest John Wick film. Director Stahelski confirmed things with the statement, “Having long admired Hiroyuki as both actor and action performer, I’m thrilled and honored to welcome him to the John Wick family.”
Sanada obviously made a huge impression as Scorpion in this year’s hit video game adaptation Mortal Kombat while also putting in a memorable appearance in Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead. But in fact his career goes back decades, with his earliest credits coming in the 1960s when he was a child actor. Sanada became a star in his native Japan throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s (when he starred in the original Ringu among many others) before making the leap to Hollywood in the 2003 Tom Cruise vehicle The Last Samurai. Since then Sanada has become a familiar presence in American films, starring in everything from the sci-fi movie Sunshine to Speed Racer to The Wolverine to Avengers: Endgame. In addition to John Wick: Chapter 4, his upcoming slate of movies includes the Brad Pitt assassin film Bullet Train. Sanada has also done a lot of television, appearing in Lost, Extant and Westworld among others.
When all is said and done John Wick: Chapter 4 may or may not succeed in taking the John Wick franchise to new heights. But if it does fail it won’t be because of the cast. Indeed, each new casting announcement just makes John Wick 4 sound more intriguing. It remains to be seen how all these new characters will fit into the film’s mix, but it’s safe to say John Wick has some formidable new allies and enemies ready to line up for and against him when he makes his way back to movie screens. But of course that’s nothing new from a series that has become known for its fascinating characters as much as its high-flying action.
Source: Deadline
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