John Wick: Chapter 4 is a perfect action film, folks. What director Chad Stahelski accomplished with the John Wick franchise is nothing short of miraculous — particularly in this day and age of lifeless superhero fare.
Speaking of which, the biggest question I had after witnessing John Wick’s latest bloodbath was: Why don’t other studios give Chad Stahelski a call and let him revitalize a few struggling franchises? Which ones? I’m glad you asked.
Marvel Properties
It’s no secret that Marvel is struggling these days. The studio’s latest entry, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, failed to generate much interest at the box office and may end up grossing less than the original Ant-Man. Couple that with the ho-hum performances of Eternals, Black Widow, Shang-Chi, and even Wakanda Forever — plus the lukewarm reaction to the various Marvel TV shows — and it’s clear the once-dominating franchise needs a little tender love and care.
Enter Chad Stahelski, the maestro behind the astonishing John Wick series. After seeing what he produced with a relatively feeble (by Hollywood standards) budget, why not give the man a chance to crack the Marvel code? Can you imagine a superhero flick in the vein of John Wick?
The idea itself is enough to make me giddy. Really, this sounds like a no-brainer.
At this juncture, Marvel should reintroduce the X-Men and let Stahelski go bonkers with either property. Wolverine slicing through an endless swarm of villains while Cyclops battles a Sentinel, and Rogue beats the shit out of Magneto? Yes, please.
Now, there’s a chance Stahelski’s creative style meshed perfectly with the John Wick universe. He may struggle under tighter studio control and enormous budgets. Still, I’d, at the very least, give the man a healthy budget and tell him to do whatever he wanted with Blade or any of the other action-based heroes.
Star Wars
Disney’s Star Wars is currently also running on fumes. The latest season of The Mandalorian is off to a rocky start, generating mixed reviews from critics and audiences alike. With no movies in production and nothing but a few mysterious series to look forward to, now would be a good time to inject that galaxy far, far away with some new life.
Turn back the clock and let Stahelski adapt Knights of the Old Republic. We need Darth Malak unhinged on the big screen. Or, bring back Rey, Finn, and Poe and give Stahelski a blank check to kick off a whole new trilogy of films. Just be sure to include Donnie Yen.
Yeah, I know — it won’t happen. Legal issues, contracts, etc., would likely hinder the team-up. Plus, it’s possible that Stahelski would rather spend his time constructing unique cinematic worlds like Ghost of Tsushima rather than burden himself with someone else’s dwindling franchise.
Still, a fan can dream.
The Matrix Resurrections was a colossal disappointment that wasted a clever premise and failed to deliver the kind of glorious action found in the first three films. Seeing how closely Stahelski is to the franchise — he played Trinity’s husband Chad in Resurrections — it seems logical to give him a shot at revitalizing Neo’s ongoing struggle with the machines.
As a side, watching John Wick 4, I kept thinking, “This is what The Matrix Revolutions should have been: an incredible, cool, action-packed thrill ride capped with an emotional ending.” Like John, Neo should have gone out in a blaze of glory. Now’s the time to give audiences what they wanted to see all those years ago.
Terminator
Yeah, Terminator is a dead brand. Even James Cameron couldn’t bring it back to life. Still, I think there’s plenty of juice left in the property, so long as the person in charge gives a damn. I’d love to see the future war depicted in The Terminator and T2, purple lasers and all. Perhaps Stahelski could craft a John Wick-styled adventure centered around the race to stop Skynet from using the time-travel machine.
You know, a story like the one we saw in the terrific video game Terminator: Resistance. Cameron has stated he’s kicking around ideas for a new installment. So why not strike when the iron’s hot and tap Stahleski to take the series in a new direction?
What Else Would Work?
Several other franchises could use a shot in the arm — Predator, Aliens, DC, and Die Hard. Each would benefit with Stahelski at the helm. Hell, if I’m James Gunn, I’m at least entertaining the idea of a Stahelski-directed Batman flick. Why the hell not?
Yeah, it’s a gamble. But at this point, if I’m a studio executive searching for someone to take control of a famous IP, Stahelski is the first guy I’d call.
