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Spoiler Alert: This article discusses major cameo appearances from Ana de Armas’ Ballerina movie.
John Wick: Chapter 4 gave the Baba Yaga a near-perfect send-off. He died on his own terms, at peace, with the kind of closure most action franchises don’t dare to write. Yet two years later, Keanu Reeves is still showing up. Ballerina used a timeline loophole to sneak him back in, setting the story between Chapters 3 and 4. It worked once. But going forward, it doesn’t need to happen again, especially not in Ballerina 2.
The demand is there, sure. Keanu is irreplaceable in the role. But sometimes, letting a character rest is the braver call. Reeves himself says that Wick is “dead” and laughs off the idea of a real comeback. Director Chad Stahelski doubled down too, calling Chapter 4 “closure” and admitting they have no clear path for a fifth film. Ballerina may be an exception, but it shouldn’t be a pattern.
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In Ballerina, Ana de Armas‘ Eve proves that this world doesn’t need to hang on to its past forever. She’s emotional, whereas Wick is stoic. Unpolished but relentless. She doesn’t fight like him, and that’s the point. Flamethrowers, ice skates, and grenade mayhem, Ballerina builds its own visual rhythm around her.
Eve isn’t a sidekick or a clone; she’s her own thing. Which is why dragging Wick into Ballerina 2 only risks softening that impact. Letting her take center stage without leaning on nostalgia gives the franchise a real shot at longevity. It’s the right kind of evolution.
And the box office? Still climbing. Ballerina opened lower than the last two John Wick chapters but outpaced the original John Wick in its first week. With a modest $90 million budget, it has room to grow with over $100 million collected worldwide so far (per The Numbers), and Ana is already winning over audiences who came for the universe but stayed for her.
In this exclusive clip from BALLERINA. John Wick and Eve Maccaro meet
— in theatres june 6th. pic.twitter.com/dJJ64MRGHD
— Ballerina Movie updates (@Ballerinanews) May 12, 2025
A Wick cameo in Ballerina made sense. The timeline allowed it. But Ballerina 2 won’t have that safety net. Bringing him back now means rewriting death, undoing emotional payoff, and leaning on fan service instead of storytelling. It also means risking the clarity Chapter 4 gave us.
Stahelski is still guiding the universe from behind the scenes. Donnie Yen’s Caine is also lined up for more screen time. The sandbox is expanding and doesn’t need its former king at the wheel. So even if fans beg, Ballerina 2 should move forward without Keanu Reeves. The character had his moment. And now, it’s Eve’s turn to take the franchise forward, on her own two feet, flamethrower in hand.
For more such stories, check out Hollywood News
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