When we talk about film franchises, there is always one mentioned as being among the most successful in the history of cinema: the John Wick franchise, starring Keanu Reeves in the lead role. The story follows a man who finds himself drawn back into the violent world of assassins just as he’s about to leave the criminal life behind. The franchise became a hit because of the emotional depth driving the action. Here is a man avenging the killers of his dog, a gift from his late wife. Reeves has become synonymous with the title, and it's impossible to mention John Wick without thinking of him. But did you know he wasn’t the first choice for the role? 

Keanu Reeves Wasn’t the First Choice for John Wick

Yes, you read that right. While Keanu Reeves is now one of the most beloved action stars, especially after taking on the role of John Wick, it turns out he wasn’t initially in the running to play the character. According to the producer of the franchise, Basil Iwanyk, Reeves was not their original pick. It was fate and perhaps a bit of luck that led the filmmakers to change their plan and cast Reeves in the part. Read on to find out more.

According to AS Entertainment, the original plan was to cast an actor who would appear around 75 years old. The filmmakers even considered Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford as potential candidates, because the character, as originally written by Derek Kolstad, was envisioned as a man 25 years into retirement.

“The lead was a 75-year-old man, 25 years after retiring. It was the fun of watching Clint Eastwood kick ass. I thought, 'Okay, there are probably one or two names you could do this with: Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford.' Other than that, I wasn’t sure how I could put this movie together. But the tone of the script for John Wick was subversive and really fun. It had a very clear emotional throughline and a great premise for an action movie.”

How Did Keanu Reeves Come Into the Picture?

At that point, the script was titled Scorn, and Keanu Reeves’ agent approached Iwanyk, asking if there were any interesting roles for Reeves. “I remember thinking to myself, ‘Keanu is one of the great action stars of the last 25 years—what happened to him? What’s he been doing?’” Iwanyk said. At the time, Reeves was working on directing his movie Man of Tai Chi and acting in 47 Ronin. “We gave him the script and told him, ‘Clearly, you’re not 75,’” Iwanyk continued.

Reeves, who was eager for a good role, jumped at the opportunity to play John Wick, and the rest, as they say, is history. Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

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