Laurence Fishburne has addressed his potential return as the Bowery King in John Wick 5 following the sequel's confirmation and Keanu Reeves' comeback. John Wick 5 was confirmed at 2025's CinemaCon, with Reeves returning as the titular character. Director Chad Stahelski is also coming back for the movie, although no story details about the upcoming installment have been revealed. It's one of four upcoming movies in the franchise, which includes the upcoming Ballerina spinoff, an untitled Caine movie, and an animated prequel depicting John's "impossible task" that initially allowed him to retire.
Speaking with Collider about his upcoming thriller film The Amateur, Fishburne revealed he has not been asked to return as the Bowery King yet for John Wick 5. Saying he hasn't "heard from Keanu and Chad about John Wick 5," the actor is confident he's going to get the call to return. This would be in line with the franchise's continual use of the title character's close allies, especially given his appearance in every movie since John Wick: Chapter 2.
Fishburne's statement adds intrigue to the future of the Bowery King character, who was first introduced in John Wick: Chapter 2. He is part of an underground intelligence network that protects John after Santino D'Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio) set a bounty on his head. The Bowery King became a core ally to the protagonist in his one-man battle against the High Table, giving him a new suit and pistol that became integral to his escape.
However, John Wick: Chapter 4 ended with the main character seemingly dying, while the Bowery King conversed with Winston (Ian McShane) over his grave. Lionsgate is apparently not ready to let the John Wick franchise die, as recent updates have made it clear that the series has plenty more tricks up its bulletproof sleeves. Since it's likely John Wick 5 is going to take place after the previous movie, it indicates John is likely still alive after escaping the High Table. However, it's not known if the Bowery King was aware of his true fate, something left up in the air based on the conversation had over his grave.
If established characters in John Wick know he's still alive, then the underground leader could be integral to how the upcoming story plays out. While his return remains unconfirmed, Fishburne seems confident he'll have a part to play. Given how important a role the Bowery King has had in the franchise since his introduction, it's unsurprising to hear Fishburne is confident of his potential return.
John Wick 5 wouldn't be the same without familiar allies around him, something that would add even more familiarity and importance to the next chapter in the assassin's franchise. Since it would be logical to assume he'll be coming back, it might not be long until official confirmation does, in fact, arrive.
With John Wick 5 officially moving forward at Lionsgate, fans anticipate learning how Keanu Reeves' eponymous character fared after seemingly dying in Chapter 4 and whether his usual running mates will be with him for the ride. One of Wick's allies, the Bowery King, could feature in the upcoming sequel as Laurence Fishburne offers a hopeful update about potentially reprising his role.
During an interview with Collider, Fishburne addressed whether he'd received the call to return for John Wick 5 after Lionsgate officially confirmed the upcoming action follow-up earlier this month. Though Fishburne conceded he's yet to hear from Reeves or franchise director Chad Stahelski about John Wick 5, he feels confident he'll hear from them about possibly coming back for the film. "So, I haven't heard from Keanu and Chad about John Wick 5, but I'm sure I will," he said.
Fishburne's return as Bowery King would make sense, considering he's been in every John Wick film since 2017's Chapter 2. The Bowery King spearheaded an underground intelligence network that protected Wick after Italian crime boss Santino D'Antonio put a bounty on his head in Chapter 2. He became Wick's ally in his fight against the High Table, giving him the suit and gun that later helped him escape the menacing group.
The latest Fishburne update about John Wick 5 comes after he recently claimed it was "possible" that he'd reprise his role in the sequel. What role Bowery King will play in John Wick 5 depends on how the creative team builds on the ending of Chapter 4, which seemingly saw Wick die and Bowery King in conversation with Winston Scott over his grave. Despite the grim sequence, franchise producer Erica Lee has teased that Wick may still be alive.
Reeves was initially hesitant to return due to the grueling physical demands of playing Wick, but agreed to come back as Lionsgate insisted on him featuring since initially announcing John Wick 5's development in 2023. While confirming John Wick 5 at CinemaCon, Lionsgate chair Adam Fogelson said, "Keanu, Chad, Basil, and Erica would not return unless they had something truly phenomenal and fresh to say with these characters and this world." Lee and fellow film series producer Basil Iwanyk added, "It’s so important to get this story right and give John’s story the proper next step. It’s exciting to take the first step on that road."
Chapter 4 became the most critically (94% on Rotten Tomatoes) and commercially ($440 million) successful installment of the John Wick franchise following its 2023 release. Along with the John Wick 5 announcement, Lionsgate elaborated on plans for an animated prequel directed by Ultraman: Rising's Shannon Tindle. The studio also confirmed progress on the untitled spinoff movie based on Chapter 4's Caine, directed by Caine actor and action legend Donnie Yen, which will enter production later this year in Hong Kong.
As Lionsgate continues to expand the John Wick franchise, many potential spinoffs have been mentioned, with Fishburne interested in one based on Bowery King. Despite Lionsgate's announcement, there is no confirmed production start or release date yet for John Wick 5.
