Is John Wick dead in Chapter 4? Ending explained

John Wick 4 is out and has already proven to be one of the best action movies of 2023 so far. Critics have loved it and fans are also relishing the adrenaline rush that this film brings. Part of the reason this movie feels so good is because of its ending.

The whole film builds up to a strong final act that drops a couple of bombshells upon the audience. It pays great value for its long run time and leaves everyone satisfied and inquisitive about the final reveal.

Disclaimer: The following article contains spoilers for Chapter 4

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The ending of John Wick: Chapter 4 sees him lose consciousness

Wick issues a challenge to Marquis (Image via Lionsgate)

In the final act of the movie, John Wick issues a challenge to Marquis (Bill Skarsgård). Winston (Ian McShane) then motivates Marquis to accept the challenge as his success will bring him glory. It will make him the greatest man alive for the High Table.

So, the arrogant man accepts the challenge and all of its terms, which are – John Wick will get his freedom and will have no obligation to the High Table, and as Wick’s second, the High Table will rebuild the New York continental and reinstate Winston as its manager. But if Wick loses, Winston will also get killed.

Chapter 4 poster (Image via Lionsgate)

The challenge decided upon is a "duel of pistols to the death" and Marquis forces Caine to fight for him by threatening to kill his daughter. But before the challenge begins, Marquis cheats by throwing an entire army of assassins at John. The latter fights his way through Paris to get to the location of the duel and gives viewers the best action sequence in the franchise.

Finally, in the duel, he gets shot three times while Caine is only shot twice. Just as Wick is down and almost out, Marquis stops Caine and sets him and his daughter free. He wants to steal the moment of glory and claim John Wick’s death. But Winston distracts him by saying, “Huh! You Arrogant A**h**e. He didn’t shoot!”

Keanu Reeves in Chapter 4 still (Image via Lionsgate)

To this, Wick just says, “consequences” right before shooting Marquis in the head. After this glorious moment, he is granted his freedom by the High Table and Winston gets reinstated to the post of manager. Caine also gets his freedom as promised by Marquis. John and Winston watch a beautiful sunrise and the former asks the latter to take him home.

Walking down the stairs, John loses consciousness and it is implied that he died at that very moment as after that, viewers see his funeral. Winston and Bowery King stand at his tombstone, which is placed beside his wife’s, and it reads, “John Wick – Loving Husband.” Right then, Winston says in Russian, “farewell my son,” revealing that he was John’s father.

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Did Wick fake his death?

Chapter 4 poster (Image via Lionsgate)

Viewers saw his body collapse. But there’s obviously a chance that both Wick and his father faked his death. This way, no one would come after John Wick and he could live in peace, grow old, and die.

It was also previously announced that Lionsgate plans to make five John Wick movies. So, it’d be hard to believe that Wick died for real in the latest outing. Despite his newfound freedom, he will probably be back.

Earlier in the film, Marquis claimed that John will not be able to accept his freedom even after he gets it as he is a killer at heart. This is who he is and killing is what he does best. Marquis mentioned that “there is no John out there who is a loving husband. It is just John Wick the killer.”

A still from Chapter 4 (Image via Lionsgate)

So, John may be pulled back into this life one last time in Chapter 5. For now, his fake death just allows him to get a breather. It also gives Keanu Reeves a bit of a break after shooting for this 169-minute-long movie that’s full of physical stunt work.

So after John Wick 4, Lionsgate will focus on a few spinoffs that will build up to John Wick’s return in Chapter 5. One of those is The Continental series where Ian McShane will return as the newly reinstated Manager of The New York Continental. The second is a movie called Ballerina, which will introduce Ana de Armas as a female John Wick-esque character.

These projects should then lead us to Chapter 5.