Ana de Armas pleasantly surprised the audience with her portrayal of Eve Macarro, a young rookie assassin, training with the same people who turned a young John Wick into a good old killing machine. In Ballerina, Eve is fueled by revenge, looking to make the man who killed her father pay. The movie also gives fans a little sweet treat in the form of Keanu Reeves’ cameo, whose character we saw “dead” in John Wick: Chapter 4.
Since Ballerina has expanded the world of John Wick, fans are naturally curious if the film sets up a spin-off or sequel. Which is probably why, many may have stayed behind in the theaters after the screen faded to black, hoping for a post-credits scene. Does the film have one? Let’s find out how this was a solid move.
Ballerina made a wise choice with its post-credits scene
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina has a runtime of two hours and five minutes, wrapping up Eve’s origin story in the given time. From witnessing the murder of her father to avenging his death at the end, Ana de Armas‘ character goes through a rollercoaster ride, training as a ballerina/assassin under the Director and Nogi.
At the end, she realizes that the Cult has places a large bounty on her head, leaving the room open for either a sequel or Eve’s return in future John Wick instalments.
Unfortunately for those looking for a proper answer, there is no way to tell where the franchise is headed to next since Ballerina ends without a post-credits scene, leaving fans asking questions and begging for more.
By ending the spin-off without a tease for the future, the creators preserve flexibility, letting Eve shine without rushing to connect the dots that do not exist yet. Since John Wick 5 is still in pre-production, any attempt to set up a crossover or sequel at this point would have felt forced.
Thus, steering clear of a post-credits scene means that the filmmakers have succesfully avoided boxing themselves into a corner. They can now take their time and build a story for Keanu Reeves‘ return that will actually do justice to the beloved franchise. A rare example of narrative patience in an era obsessed with setups.
Does John Wick 5 have a script yet?
The sequel was announced by Lionsgate in April at CinemaCon, and is still in the early stages of pre-production. While Reeves and Chad Stahelski are confirmed to return, that’s just about it.
Talking to The Hollywood Reporter back in 2024, Stahelski claimed that a fifth movie, if it were to happen, “would not be a part of” the story that had played out in John Wick 4.
Now, earlier this month, the director told THR that creating John Wick 5 was going to be a “creative exercise,” where they work together to do right by the franchise. The best part? The team gets to work with people they love, and this is nothing less than a win. In his words,
If we go down the road of John Wick 5 and build this story and decide this isn’t right, there are probably going to be ten other things we’ll discover that we’ll use for other things. It’s a great creative exercise. It’s being in the room riffing with people we love. That’s nothing but wins.
As for a script, Stahelski has admitted that since the sequel is still in early pre-production, he, Reeves, and the team are still trying to agree on a story that would work. While they have “a really good couple of ideas,” nothing can be said with certainty at the moment.
Ballerina is currently in theaters. Stream the first three John Wick films on Peacock Premium. John Wick: Chapter 4 is available to rent/buy on Prime Video.
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