The Next John Wick Prequel Should Be Obvious And Would Honor The Movies’ Best Supporting Character

The John Wick franchise has been steadily expanding since the release of the fourth movie in the main series, with multiple spin-offs continuing this fictional universe. The first was The Continental, which offered an insight into Winston’s younger years as he worked his way through the organization, and the second will be Ballerina, which follows a member of the Ruska Roma clan who follows in Wick’s footsteps. Although John Wick 5 has been confirmed, it could be a while before the film eventually gets made - meaning there’s room for even more spin-offs before then.

There have been many theories about John Wick 5 that suggest some very bold and outlandish concepts for the sequel, but the most responsible and potentially interesting route for the franchise to take is actually another prequel. There’s so much to this universe that hasn’t been explored yet - so many interesting characters and complex relationships that deserve more screen time, and one figure stands out particularly strongly.

The Bowery King Has A Fascinating Backstory And Should Get A John Wick Prequel

Fishburne's Character Has A Rich History

Laurence Fishburne’s Bowery King is one of the John Wick franchise’s best characters, not just because of his suave personality and inherent charm, but also because of the complicated history that he has with the protagonist. It’s mentioned several times throughout the John Wick movies that the Bowery King was once a target of Wick’s, but he managed to survive and eventually establish his own empire that’s served particularly useful to Wick throughout the years.

Related Ballerina: Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know About The John Wick Spinoff Following the outstanding success of the first four John Wick films, the ever-popular action franchise is getting a spinoff in the form of Ballerina.

A John Wick prequel that focuses on the Bowery King’s rise to power, and eventual conflict with the titular assassin himself, could be a really interesting way of developing both characters’ backstories from a slightly different perspective. The Bowery King wasn’t always a hero; his moral compass is much more skewed, and this could be a fascinating lens through which to explore Wick’s story.

John Wick’s First Prequel Has Already Retconned The Bowery King’s Origin Story

The Character's Origins Are Shrouded In Mystery

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Interestingly, the details of the Bowery King’s backstory is an area where the John Wick writers have never been totally clear on. In fact, the lore was entirely rewritten in an episode of The Continental, which claimed that the Bowery King wasn’t actually the original ruler of the Soup Kitchen at all. Instead, he’s said to have inherited it from another character named Mazie. This goes against the character’s claim that he founded his empire in John Wick: Chapter 2.

Allowing a John Wick spin-off project to dive deeper into the Bowery King’s past would be a smart way of resolving all the ambiguity that surrounds his backstory, and giving the audience a clearer picture of exactly who this character is. A potential Bowery King spin-off could be the magic recipe that the John Wick franchise needs to stay relevant in the future, while other spin-offs like Ballerina introduce the next generation of assassins.