One of the best possible action match-ups for the upcoming John Wick Spinoff centered on Donnie Yen’s Caine character already happened in a ’90s martial arts classic. Yen made his John Wick Franchise debut opposite Keanu Reeves in John Wick: Chapter 4. His character Caine, a blind assassin who uses motion-sensing doors to lure henchmen into his traps, quickly became a fan favorite. He is a legend in the franchise only because he is the one who killed Vic as a duel proxy for the Notorious Marquis.
The end of John Wick: Chapter 4 Seemed to set no for a spinoff. After being freed from the High Table’s control, Kane returned to Paris to finally reunite with his daughter. But when he got there, he brought along Akira, the daughter of the Continental manager he killed earlier in the film, hoping to take revenge on her father. It set up an interesting story about the cycle of violence, and sure enough, within months, Lionsgate greenlit a Caine spinoff with Yen reprising his role.
Danny Yen fighting Jet Li in his John Wick spinoff would be a martial arts fan’s dream
Donnie Yen vs. Jet Li would make the Caine spinoff a must-see
Bring back Yen to his own head John Wick Spinoff sets up all kinds of exciting possibilities. Kane was at the center of several of John Wick: Chapter 4The most exciting action sequences, from his shootout in the kitchen to his relentless march up the goon-infested stairs. It will be a joy to see Cain take the spotlight in his own adventure. It also sets up a bunch of potential showdowns. Audiences can see Yen battle fellow martial arts movie legends like Jet Li On the big screen.
Danny Yen and Jet Li fought in 1991, sometime in China
This match-up already happened more than three decades ago
It would be awesome to see Yen’s Caine fight a new character played by Lee in the Caine spinoff, but the two iconic actors have fought on screen before, in 1991. Once upon a time in China. Once upon a time in China is a biopic of martial arts master and folk hero Wong Fei-hung, who is played by Lee. The movie was directed and produced by Tsui Hark and ended up launching a franchise consisting of five sequels and a television series.
Once upon a time in China is a staple of the wuxia genre, which was a huge influence on the John Wick Series (and the namesake of the in-universe criminal underworld radio station). Today, it is considered one of the most influential martial arts films ever made. If yen squares off with li in his John Wick Spinoff, it will be a great way to pay homage to their action Once upon a time in China.