The John Wick franchise is jam-packed, full of action and non-stop twists and turns. It has also been around since 2014. Yes, John Wick is almost 10 years old. How is that for a mind-blowing fun fact? And the result of that is that it may seem like a lot of time has passed in John Wick’s world. But actually, John Wick‘s timeline is incredibly short. Good thing Keanu Reeves has the qualities of an ageless vampire. Director Chad Stahelski officially confirmed John Wick‘s timeline and the super-short in-universe time that passes. But, he does add there’s a little room for variability.
So how long is John Wick‘s timeline really? Speaking to Collider, Chad Stahelski shared:
Well, we figured the first three movies almost happened in like a week, week and a half, somewhere in there. That’s my version, I think Keanu’s is a little different, and I think this [Chapter 4] is like six months later. So within a year, I think it all happens. I would say almost within seven to eight months.
It’s hard to believe such a monumental franchise has unfolded in so short a time. We’ve been with John Wick for almost 10 years, but John Wick himself has only existed for a fraction of that time in his world. But that just goes to show you that a good story is a good story. We wonder what Keanu Reeves’ vision of John Wick‘s timeline looks like. But we assume it can’t be that much longer.
John Wick‘s producers Erica Lee and Basil Iwanyk also offered their take on John Wick‘s timeline. Iwanyk noted, “I think the first three are set over three weeks.” John Wick 4, meanwhile, finds its place on the timeline, “eight months later, or something like that.” According to Collider, Lee shared “the length of time had to be enough for Wick to heal from his injuries, but to still be angry at what Winston and the High Table had done to him.”
With all that in mind, John Wick: Chapter 4‘s time skip is a huge one for the franchise. More time passes between John Wick: Chapter 3 and John Wick: Chapter 4 than in all the other movies together. So we were excited to see a very evolved hero appear in John Wick‘s latest (although potentially not final) outing.
Originally published on March 22, 2023.
