Any prospective fifth entry in the John Wick franchise should look to a strong shared aspect of fellow action films Boy Kills World and Monkey Man.

Custom Image by Debanjana Chowdhury

The following contains light set-up spoilers for John Wick: Chapter 4, Monkey Man, and Boy Kills World

The John Wick franchise is reportedly developing John Wick 5, and the perfect villain for any prospective new film in the series proves to be an antagonistic force in two clear heirs to John Wick‘s action throne.

The action genre is still responding to the success of the John Wick series. Debuting in 2014, the Keanu Reeves-led action film spawned an entire world of assassins and killers. It proved to be a perfect set-up for an entire franchise and has influenced recent entries in the action genre.

Both Dev Patel’s Kid and Bill Skarsgård’s Boy have unique tonal, thematic, and visual elements that separate them from imitations, but they — along with a lot of the modern action genre — share imagery and action with the John Wick movies. With that in mind, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for John Wick 5 to look to the films that followed in its wake for inspiration.

This includes casting, with one shared actor between Monkey Man and Boy Kills World proving to be a potentially perfect fit for an increasingly likely John Wick 5.

This Video Game Movie Is The Perfect John Wick Replacement (& Better Than John Wick 5 With Keanu)

There’s an upcoming video game movie adaptation that could be even better for action cinema than a John Wick: Chapter 5 starring Keanu Reeves.Sharlto Copley Plays Excellent Villains In Monkey Man & Boy Kills World

Sharlto Copley Is A Great Minor Villain In Both Action Films


Monkey Man and Boy Kills World both highlight Sharlto Copley’s effectiveness within the action genre as a villain, and he would make for a perfect antagonist in a John Wick continuation. In Monkey Man, Copley plays the promoter for the fighting ring frequented by the Kid.

A sleazy and opportunistic showman, Copley portrays him with enough charm to be entertaining even as he hints at a more vengeful and rageful side. Copley also appears in Boy Kills World in a far more showy role as Glen van der Koy, the PR-designed public face of the film’s tyrannical ruling family.

Boy Kills World Official Trailer (Trailer)

In both performances, Copley plays big showy men who hide darker layers behind toothy grins. Both characters are high energy and surprisingly vicious, lashing out in anger when their plans don’t go according to plan.

They also showcase a greater range Copley finds with similar characteristics. Copley’s performances can dial in the casual menace or surprising vulnerability, highlighting a range that also fits perfectly into the gritty and wacky worlds around them. It’s a rare skill and one that makes for solid villains in the John Wick films.

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Taking a different approach than the other movies, John Wick 5’s timeline will avoid bringing Keanu Reeves back in the worst way possible.John Wick 5 Needs To Cast Sharlto Copley As A Villain Now

How Sharlto Copley Could Fit Into The John Wick Universe

Sharlto Copley would fit perfectly into the John Wick franchise, especially in light of John Wick: Chapter 4 shaking the foundations of their world. It’s the perfect kind of shake-up for new characters to bounce against lingering figures like the Bowery King or Katia. Copley’s skills and ability to adjust within the action genre make him an ideal archetype for a role within any John Wick 5. It would fit into the high society stylings of the High Table, with Glen van der Koy sharing a clean style and vicious anger with the prior film’s Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont.

Monkey Man Official Trailer 2 (Trailer)

However, the grittier street-level energy of Copley’s Monkey Man performance would fit perfectly alongside the corner of the John Wick franchise inhabited by Bowery King, Mr. Nobody, and Katia. If Copley could replicate the fusion of charming and intense he finds in the Dev Patel-directed Monkey Man, then he could fit perfectly within the tonal sweet spot for a John Wick franchise. With the series likely going forward in a different direction in light of Keanu Reeves’ unlikely return for John Wick 5, Copley has embodied the kind of archetypes that drive the universe forward outside of Wick himself.