The following contains spoilers for From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, now playing in theatersDavid Castañeda's role in Ballerina's foundational characters, Javier sets the stage for the tone and style of action that carries on throughout the film, underscoring the difference between himself (and later his daughter, Eve) and other characters in the series.

It's a strong showing from Castañeda in the exciting action film, even if it's a tragically short one. During an interview with ScreenRant, Castañeda reflected on the intense level of training he took on to perfect the John Wick style of action necessary for Ballerina, the bittersweet qualities of finishing off The Umbrella Academy, and whether he thinks Javier would have a chance in a fight with John Wick.

David Castañeda Threw Himself (Literally) Into John Wick Training

"To This Day, I Look Back At That And Pinch Myself. I Can't Believe I Was Able To Do That."

One of the inherent challenges (and thrills) of ing the John Wick franchise is learning a lot of intense action choreography — something Castañeda embraced when he took on the role of Javier. Reflecting on his time learning how to fit into that action-packed world, Castañeda itted that "I really leaned on everyone else. I felt like I was the new enger in this creation. I was leaning on them, giving them whatever they needed from me."

For Castañeda, one of the most important aspects of the training process for Ballerina was discovering the reason and way that Javier fights, especially in comparison to other characters. This proved to be an invaluable window into the character for the actor, who explained that there was "a lot of discussion of his fighting style and how it represents who he is as a father. He doesn't try to murder or kill people in that fight sequence. That says a lot about what he's trying to do, and how he's trying to move away from that sort of life."

A lot of preparation for the role ended up being less about the overt action moments and more focused on how to sell the hard-hitting qualities of the action. "There was a lot of preparation on how to fall, mostly because when you watch action, especially the John Wick films, you see Keanu getting hurt a lot in those films. It makes sense why you feel for John Wick, because of the pain he goes through. Obviously, there's no real safe way to get hurt or to show hurt, but you learn how to fall, you learn how to really sell a certain hit, throwing yourself against a certain wall."

"There's a skill to that, and there's an appreciation to the stunt performers who do all those things. I didn't expect to spend most of my days after training falling a hundred times on each side just to practice. When we got to set, they were like, 'we need you to roll here.' And because I felt comfortable, I was able to say 'Yes, I can do that.' That was one of many things about this experience that was really eye-opening coming into the John Wick series."

Reflecting on the biggest surprises he encountered while on set, Castañeda itted that he had no idea just how much character and personality could be expressed through the style of the action. "I knew a little bit about that on Umbrella Academy, but when we started training for this, there was an immediate priority to showcase that [Javier] is not a killer. Everything — every move, every block, every elbow, every motion — was all about gaining more time to get up and go. It was not about killing anyone. I was really impressed by how they stuck to that constantly with him."

One of the most memorable moments for the actor on set came with the arrival of smokebombs, which added a whole layer of difficulty to the process. "We had the whole choreo rehearsed," Castañeda recalled, "and then they would say, 'Okay, now we're going to throw these pike smoke bombs in, so you feel comfortable with them.' I'd say great, it's going to look really great on the frame. And the moment they throw those pink smoke bombs, I can't see anything. I'm meant to do this rehearsal choreography, but now wiith pink smoke."

"I'm like, this is what Javier is really going through, because he can't see anything either. I was terrified as the actor trying to perform this fight with the squibs and the guns and all these guys in full gear, trying to fight them and making sure I didn't get hurt and that everyone stayed safe. It was an extremely anxious moment for the first hour of shooting. Then, as it moved along, I got more and more comfortable. To this day, I look back at that and pinch myself. I can't believe I was able to do that."

The History, Tragedy, And Justice Behind Javier

"His Death Doesn't Feel In Vain."

An important element of Ballerina is the way the film doesn't reveal too much about Javier's history and the mysterious cult that he's trying to save his daughter from. Although he wouldn't give too much away about that history, Castañeda revealed that "there's a lot of lore behind it." Hinting at Javier's backstory, Castañeda explained that "a lot of things were discussed, about why Javier left, and how it evolved. It was a love story between him and Eve's mother. From what I understood, and they could probably clear this up even more, was that Eve's mother was part of the cult."

"She really comes from that side of the world, as opposed to [Javier and the Ruska Roma], who are a group of protectors. It's almost a Romeo & Juliet situation... that was a little bit of the understanding that I had coming into it, which was very helpful to understand that Javier is not a killer. This is one of the reasons he wanted to take his daughter out of that place, because he didn't want her to repeat the same things that the mother and now the sister were doing."

That decision to leave Eve's sister Lena — setting her up to become one of the major antagonists working at the behest of the Chancellor in Ballerina — was something that Castañeda noted was one of the most "heartbreaking" elements of the film to him. "At a certain point, does bringing both of them jeopardize the youngest... if I bring Lena, who has already been so cemented in the cult, it might jeopardize even the safety of Eve. And that must have been sort of like Sophie's Choice, I would imagine."

Although the struggles Javier faced in abandoning the cult and taking Eve with him eventually came back to haunt him, Castañeda sees the character's actions as inherently a noble attempt to escape a terrible situation. "I feel like, at a certain point, your skeletons catch up to you. There's a decision to be made, and the moment you stop making that decision is when you rot. It weighs on Javier, to know the decisions he's made. He's turned against his own community, the people who he thought were his family. That weighs very heavily on him."

"There is this essence of the love for one's child, regardless of the immediate danger that it presents to the parent, is more important. They're willing to take whatever consequences come in order to get a better life for their child. When I read the script, I felt like that was the main point of Javier that I could relate to very fast. This is a father who wants a better life for his daughter, and is willing to do whatever it takes."

Looking at the arc Eve goes on in the end, Castañeda its that on some level, "we do end up fulfilling a destiny, regardless of how much we tried to fight it. It was always meant to be, it almost feels like Eve was born to be a part of this. But in a certain way, she always carries a certain essence of Javier inside of her." This connection is clear in the film's second half, when Eve works to save Daniel's daughter Ella from the cult.

Despite embracing violence in a way that Javier initially seemed to want to spare her from, Eve's evolution into a protector is something Castañeda believes Javier would actually respect. "I don't know if Javier would actually be completely against it. His biggest thing was not to turn her into that cult. The fact that she's now turning around and destroying the cult — his death doesn't feel in vain anymore. I like that a lot."

David Castañeda Reflects On The Umbrella Academy Finale

"There Was Something Really Bittersweet About It All"

Before ing the John Wick franchise, one of David Castañeda's biggest roles was as Diego Hargreeves in The Umbrella Academy. The purposefully bizarre riff on superhero archetypes was a massive hit for Netflix. The fourth season finale, "End of the Beginning," was a surprisingly bittersweet conclusion to the show that left many Umbrella Academy fans upset by the fate of the makeshift family at the center of the story. Reflecting on his initial reaction to that finale, Castañeda itted that "I was looking at it in the micro level."

"I wasn't really thinking about the ramifications or the after-effects that it was going to have on fans. I was really just looking at it from a perspective of this is what's happening. This is what has to happen to restart the universe. As an actor, as someone who had formulated and become a grown man in this show, there was something really bittersweet about it all."

"I didn't really have a chance to think, oh man, this is really sad! It was more like, I can't believe that the show became what it did, and that it has such a following that people were so excited to be a part of — and how heartbroken they were at the actual ending." More than anything, what stuck out to Castañeda was the somber reality that "it was the last time I was going to work together with all my siblings."

David Castañeda On Potential Returns And A Prospective John Wick Vs. Javier Fight

"I Will Say Yes To Any Opportunity To Work With Them Again."

Although John Wick does appear in Ballerina, it's largely positioned against Eve and her own storyline. This does raise the question about whether or not Javier ever encountered John Wick and how he would fare against the Baba Yaga in a fight. Pondering whether he'd be interested in returning to the John Wick franchise in some capacity, Castañeda was quick to say "yes. Whether it be a flashback or me just washing cars in the background, I'm totally game for it [Laughter]."

"In the John Wick universe, anything is possible. I will say yes to any opportunity to work with them again." When asked if he'd be excited for a potential face-off with John Wick in a prospective return, Castañeda itted that he doesn't know if Javier would ever have a chance to beat John Wick in a flashback.

"It would make a better story if Javier had a chance to beat John Wick. But if he does beat John, there is no John Wick series. In my selfish fan-fic way, I think John Wick would always win. But I do feel like there needs to be a danger to John. That's why these films are so spectacular."