If it wasn’t for Keanu Reeves constantly getting the name wrong,John Wickwould’ve been released under a very different title — and it probably wouldn’t have become a franchise. When it was first released in 2014,John Wickinitially didn’t seem to be anything more than a run-of-the-mill low-budget revenge thriller. It looked like the kind of movie that had become a dime a dozen sinceTakencame out: a beloved movie star plays a seasoned professional killer who seeks vengeance for the death of a loved one and kills hundreds of people along the way.
But against all odds,John Wickbecame one of the biggest blockbuster franchisesof the 21st century. It was promptly followed by three sequels, each one bigger, bolder, and more financially successful than the last, and it also has a TV show and a spin-off movie on the way. Wick himself has become one of the most beloved and iconic movie characters ever created; he’s become synonymous with hardened badasses everywhere. But none of that would’ve happened ifthe firstJohn Wickmoviehad been released under its original, much more generic title.
John Wick Would’ve Been Called Scorn If Not For Keanu Reeves
It’s Only Called John Wick Because Reeves Couldn’t Remember The Real Title
Derek Kolstad’s original script forJohn Wickwas calledScorn. The lead character was always named Wick — named in honor of Kolstad’s maternal grandfather (viaWhatCulture) — but the movie wasn’t named after him. Kolstad explained (viaComicBook.com), “The only reason it’s called John Wick is that Keanu kept referring to it as John Wick.”Reeves signed on to star in a movie calledScorn, but every time he mentioned it in an interview or in production meetings, he referred to it asJohn Wickinstead of its official name, and Reeves’ new title eventually stuck.
Reeves had already started drumming up interest in the John Wick title, so it made sense to just roll with it.
The studio’s marketing team estimated that Reeves had already given them millions of dollars’ worth of free advertisingfor a movie calledJohn Wick. Rather than starting from scratch with a costly marketing campaign for a movie calledScorn, they decided to just stick with the titleJohn Wick. Reeves had already started drumming up interest in theJohn Wicktitle, so it made sense to just roll with it. Despite having come up with the original title himself, Kolstad admitted, “I can’t imagine it being Scorn now.”
John Wick’s Simple But Effective Title Helped The Movie A Lot
It Created A Mystique Around This Character
WhileScornisn’t a bad title for a revenge movie,John Wickis arguably a much more effective title. For starters, it’s more unique. A movie calledScornwould disappear into the bargain bin of one-word action movie titles likeCrank,Shooter,Wanted,Payback,Hitman, andBloodshot. There’s nothing that separates it from the dozens of other action thrillers that get made every year. It sounds like a direct-to-DVD or straight-to-streaming release that would stick rigidly to the established formula and all the familiar tropes and do nothing to go above and beyond them.
John Wick 5 Looks Even More Complicated To Pull Off Now
The John Wick franchise keeps announcing new spinoffs – like Under the High Table – and they’re burning through John Wick 5’s best premises.
ButJohn Wickstands out:it begs the question, who is John Wick?It created a mystique around this character. It established a mythic presence that only a screen legend like Reeves could live up to.Reeves had played plenty of iconic characters before, andJohn Wick’s title teased a new addition to that rogues’ gallery. By naming the movie after Reeves’ character, it promised another icon on the level of Neo or Ted “Theodore” Logan. It got potential viewers asking questions that the generic original titleScornnever would have.
John Wick Would’ve Never Become A Franchise With Its Original Title
Scorn Is Too Generic A Title To Become A Blockbuster Property
It doesn’t feel like an exaggeration to say thatJohn Wickwould’ve never become a franchise if it had been calledScorn.It could’ve been the exact same movie, just with a different title, and it wouldn’t have been a big enough hit to score a sequel, let alone a cinematic universe. There are a lot of things inJohn Wickthat scream franchise potential.The Continental — a hotel chain that caters specifically to assassins— was just the tip of the iceberg of the curious worldbuilding. But audiences would’ve had to see the movie for that to catch on.
John Wickwas initially released on June 09, 2025.
What really got people talking aboutJohn Wickwas the premise. There have been tons of revenge movies about an antihero whose wife or kids are killed, but this was the first one where his adorable pet dog is killed — and the death of a dog is arguably even more heartbreaking, and got the audience even more onboard with his quest for vengeance. But if the title didn’t grab their attention (which it wouldn’t have if the title wasScorn), then those conversations would’ve never gotten started, andJohn Wick— orScorn— would’ve vanished into obscurity.
John Wick
Cast
John Wick is a 2014 action thriller featuring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman. The film follows John Wick as he emerges from retirement to avenge the loss inflicted by a group of gangsters, setting the stage for a relentless pursuit and exploration of a shadowy underworld.
