Boo, hiss, etc…
We can all agree that John Wick, the near-mythical assassin played to pure stoic perfection by Keanu Reeves, is one of the most lethal forces that cinema has ever seen.
The John Wick films require a certain suspension of disbelief, certainly, what with the sheer size of the body count, the comical amount of headshots and the punishment that Wick himself has endured across two adventures thus far.
Much like Idris Elba’s forever beaten-down DCI John Luther, it’s genuinely astonishing that Wick is still going strong, but hey, movies and all that.
Plus, the Wick series has been gloriously great fun so far, and a welcome career renaissance for Reeves.
We know that Chapter 3 is arriving next year, and that Wick will face off with ninjas at some stage, but arguably his greatest match sadly won’t be coming back for more.
Chapter 2 saw Cassian, an equally slick and cool hitman played by Common, join the fray, pushing John to his limits before being left with a knife in his chest on a subway train.
Clip via Alienze Zione
It was a rare mercy move from Wick, who instructed his rival not to remove the knife for it would kill him. Given that Cassian was still breathing when we saw him last, there was every hope and expectation that the pair would throw down again in the third chapter.
But that’s not happening, according to the actor himself.
Chatting with Coming Soon, Common broke hearts by revealing:
“I’m not in the third part, but I could say that I really loved being a part of John Wick 2 and it was an amazing experience.
“Working with Keanu and Chad [Stahelski, dirctor], they’re just phenomenal. Challenged and really passionate about the stuff, and I can say that three is going to be incredible, though, I’ll tell you that much.”
Pressed by the interviewer to make sure this is no trick as it was indeed believed Cassian would rise again, Common was clear in his confirmation:
“Yeah, no, no, I’m not in it, but I know it’s going to be great.”
Well, that’s a tremendous shame, isn’t it? Still, you have to give the filmmakers credit for being ruthless here and trying to finish their story the right way.
After all, Hugo Weaving couldn’t get an invite, either.
Still, worry not, Wick fans; there’s still that spin-off TV show to look forward to. Maybe Common can pop up in that.
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
