Mel Gibson to star in John Wick prequel TV series

The John Wick universe expands...

In a move that will likely draw some criticism, Mel Gibson has landed a role in the upcoming John Wick prequel series, The Continental. First mooted back in 2018, The Continental will focus on the inner-workings of the hitman-friendly hotel, as seen in the John Wick films to date. Set in 1975, the show will present a younger version of Ian McShane's character Winston Scott as he is dragged into the difficulties of New York's mysterious criminal underworld. Mel Gibson, meanwhile, will play a new character by the name of Cormac, according to a Variety exclusive on Monday night. No further details have been revealed about the role, though with a name like that you have to assume there's some Irish connection involved. Starz is the network behind the project, and there had been talk of the show arriving as a "three-night event series" though no premiere date has been set as of yet. Greg Coolidge (Ride Along, Employee of the Month) and Kirk Ward (a forthcoming Expendables TV show, apparently) are on board as writers, executive producers and overall showrunners. It is currently unknown if Keanu Reeves will appear in some form – and you'd think the timeline of 1975 would mess with that idea a little bit – but he has previously expressed some interest in doing so. John Wick: Chapter 4, however, is due at the end of May, 2022.