John Wickis the best action movie franchise of the last decade, with the Keanu Reeves-led series spawning multiple sequels, a prequel series, and multiple spinoffs, including a surprising anime. As confirmed byThe Hollywood Reporter,theJohn Wickanime has confirmed its placement on the timeline, depicting the “impossible task"that sets up Wick for his five-year retirement before the first film’s events. Such an ambitious undertaking set up the Tarasov Mob’s power, but the question has always lingered on fans' minds just the scope of such an undertaking for a hitman like John Wick.
With numerous allusions to John Wick’s past career achievements, such as the pencil fatality he inflicts on one opponent inJohn Wick: Chapter 2, it’s clear that director and co-creator Chad Stahelski wants to tell stories of the character’s past.The promise of an over-the-top rendition in the grand tradition of visceral actionis at hand in the John Wick anime. With three projects on hand, including the anime, a TV show, and Donnie Yen’sCainespinoff, there’s plenty of opportunity for characters and explosive backstories to be explored while fans wait fornews of aJohn Wick 5.
John Wick Anime Is a Prequel to the First Movie Showing the “Impossible Task”
The Series Explores the Final Mission Before John Wick’s Retirement
In the firstJohn Wickfilm, the main antagonist, Viggo Tarasov, gave viewersa juicy bit of lore about Wick’s retirement and the “impossible task” he performed for the Tarasov Mob crime familyto be depicted in the anime. The terms of Wick’s retirement, allowing him to attempt to build a life with his wife Helen, were put aside with her passing and Iosef Tarasov’s killing ofthe puppy she left behind for John. Much of the film and subsequent franchise show an increasingly high-stakes infusion of gunplay and martial arts as Wick tries vainly to put his past behind him.
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The “impossible task” is a frequently-discussed bit ofJohn Wicklore, with vague references to it being something no other hitman could complete, helping Tarasov consolidate his power in New York. With it essentially sounding likea one-man army taking on the other rival crime families in the city, such an undertaking could be a wild and visceral affair, something anime has handled well in addition to the live-action franchise. With the anime currently in development, fans will finally get a glimpse at the answer of what the “impossible task” truly was inJohn Wick.
John Wick’s Anime Is a Perfect Extension of the Franchise
To Go Alongside The Witcher and Terminator
TheJohn Wickanime is a brilliant concept because of how well it works in animated form. After all, classics includingTrigun,Cowboy Bebop,Black Lagoon,andGhost in the Shellboast exceptional gunplay with wonderful studios like Sunrise, Madhouse, and Production I.G backing them. Even contemporary hits likeLycoris Recoil, Trigun Stampede,Terminator Zero,andPsycho-Passcontinue this tradition, with each bringing idiosyncratic style to the wildly creative and innovative medium.
With the John Wick anime, there’s a chance at one of the most brutal renditions yet without the typical inhibitions of a live-action production.
The world ofJohn Wickis ever-expanding, and with its properties expanding out of movies and into TV, video games, and now anime, it’s interesting to see how far it’ll go. As the series grows its box office gains with every subsequent release, the sky’s seemingly the limit. But with theJohn Wickanime, there’s a chance at one of the most brutal renditions yet without the typical inhibitions of a live-action production.
John Wick
“John Wick” is a neo-noir action-thriller franchise centered around a retired hitman who returns to the criminal underworld to seek vengeance. Known for its intense and stylistic action sequences, the franchise has redefined modern action cinema with its choreographed gunfights, hand-to-hand combat, and intricate world-building. The series explores themes of loyalty, honor, and survival in a secret society of assassins.
