John Wick 4 Could Break A Big Franchise Villain Trend
The John Wick movies have established a tradition of villains with a high regard for him, but John Wick: Chapter 4 may break that trend.
John Wick: Chapter 4 could break the longstanding franchise trend of new villains. Keanu Reeves' assassin will face his most challenging conflict yet in John Wick: Chapter 4. John and the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne) are in a fierce battle with the High Table, and John may finally be able to escape their grasp forever.
Among John's enemies in John Wick: Chapter 4 is the Marquis of Gramont (Bills Karsgard), who will fight John directly as a High Table representative. In an interview, Bill Skarsgard stated that Gramont's mission to kill John Wick "will ensure his place and power at the High Table". Skarsgård also describes Marquis de Gramont "as a man from the gutter who is now savoring the sparkly suits he wears," which may suggest he's a villain with very different motivations than his previous John Wick counterparts.
John Wick's Enemies Have Greatly Respected Him
John Wick's fame as an Assassin preceded him throughout the world, and the respect he earned for it is a staple of the John Wick series. In the first two John Wick films, both Viggo (Michael Enqvist) and Abram Tarasoff (Peter Stormare) emphasized that the John Wick saga was Baba Yaga to all those who underestimate him. Throughout the series, all of John's enemies share this sentiment, even when they're trying to kill him.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum even reveals that Zero (Mark Dacascos) and his Shinobi students are big fans of John, telling him specifically when they fight. Since John is held in high regard by his opponents, John Wick is never really seen as a villain who is an enemy in a more traditional sense. Changing the villain formula could be one of the ways John Wick: Chapter 4 keeps the franchise fresh.
How The Marquis de Gramont Might Be A Different John Wick Enemy
Based on Skarsgård's description of Marquis de Grammont, he seems to have considered John merely a means to the accumulation of power. While John Wick's battle with the High Table immediately made the Marquis de Gramont an enemy of John, he also seemed to oppose John on a more personal level. So the Marquis de Gramont might be the first to drop all reverence for John Wick, seeing it as a weakness That was the downfall of John's past enemies.
The Marquess of Gramont's self-made origin story may also have instilled some real anger and even hatred for John in him. After attaining the high table status he has, Marquis de Grammond may see John Wick as someone who can take everything from him. Not only would this make the Marquess of Gramont a unique character in John Wick: Chapter 4, but he might be the most aggressive, devious and desperate foe John Wick has ever faced.
