ending of John Wick 4, the future of this bloody and violent action franchise was somewhat up in the air, with audiences left questioning how the writers could even continue after such a twist. With Keanu Reeves seemingly retired from the role given Wick's death, the series would need a new face to take over and give the saga some longevity,

After John Wick’s first spinoff project The Continental opened to mixed reviews and failed to revive the franchise as intended, the importance of landing this new face became even higher than before. Luckily, the story of Ballerina seems to be going in a fun direction that will bring an entirely new character to the forefront of the story, using Reeves’ older protagonist as a kind of mentor figure in this ing-of-the-torch spinoff.

Ballerina's Trailer Highlights Ana De Armas As The "New Face" Of The Franchise

Her Character Will Seemingly Take Over From Keanu Reeves

In Ballerina’s first trailer, it’s immediately clear that Ana de Armas’ new character Eva Maccaro will be taking over the role that was previously held by Reeves’ protagonist. She’s the clear focus of the story, with the spinoff following her character as she fights her way to the top and overcomes the many forces that stand against her. The trailer even confirms the character’s importance by referring to Maccaro as “a new face” for vengeance, which could easily be interpreted as the “new face” of the franchise as a whole.

While it’s important to that John Wick 5 has been confirmed, it’s also worth noting that the sequel seems to have taken a backseat in the past year while John Wick focuses on establishing its spinoff. Ballerina is clearly the most important project right now, and Maccaro's “new face” description suggests that there are plans in place to carry her forward into the future. John Wick 5 could end up being the final movie in the main series, and if Ballerina performs well, Maccaro could even appear in the project to take the reins.

Ballerina Makes Ana De Armas Look Like A Great Keanu Reeves Replacement

It's As Close To John Wick As Audiences Could Have Hoped For

Although following up Keanu Reeves' legacy in the John Wick universe is difficult, Ana de Armas seems to be doing a great job in Ballerina. The trailer shows plenty of dynamic action and sharp hand-to-hand combat, which proves that while the protagonist may be different, the film’s style is going to be very similar. One of the best parts of the John Wick movies was Keanu Reeves’ involvement in the stunts, which made it feel like the actor was really in tune with the character.

Deadline reported earlier this year that a new John Wick TV show about the High Table set after the events of Chapter 4 is currently in the works.

Luckily, it seems like Ana de Armas will adopt a similar approach to her protagonist. While it’s unclear how much of the stunt work she’ll perform herself, the trailer proves that she’s not shying away from the fight scenes. This will hopefully make the transition between characters less difficult, as the franchise’s values and aesthetics will remain fairly similar between projects.

John Wick Will Struggle To Ever Fully Replace Keanu Reeves As The Face Of The Franchise

His Character Left A Legacy That Can't Be Touched

Ultimately, while Ballerina looks great, replacing Keanu Reeves in the John Wick universe is an endeavor that’s destined to fail. The actor has become so synonymous with this character over the years - attempting to oust him from the spotlight would never end well. That’s exactly why Ballerina must take a different approach to succeeding him: not presenting Maccaro as his replacement or substitute, but rather as a completely new character of her own. Maccaro must be different enough from John Wick to distance herself from the original films.

Ballerina takes place during John Wick 3, so there’s every possibility that Keanu Reeves will play a large role in the spinoff. The trailer has confirmed his involvement, but to make the film succeed and have audiences fully accept Maccaro as the new face of the franchise, it would be a great idea to have them interact lots on-screen during the project. This way, Ballerina can highlight the differences between the characters and assure audiences that Maccaro isn’t replacing Wick, but offering an alternative figure to take the reins and drive the franchise in a new direction.