John Wick co-creator David Leitch reveals that a different action movie icon was once in the running to play the retired former assassin played by Keanu Reeves. Leitch and Chad Stahelski’s 2014 action thriller saw Reeves’ titular hitman dragged back into the criminal underworld after the hot-headed son of a mob boss kills his dog, setting him on the path to revenge. The film exceeded the studio’s expectations, pleased critics and made a solid profit at the box office, leading to John Wick generating an ongoing franchise.
As John Wick turns 10 years old, Leitch explained to The Hollywood Reporter that the production almost cast an older action star to play the killer. Leitch revealed that at the time he embarked on the project alongside Stahelski, Die Hard star Bruce Willis has been potentially signed on to play John Wick. He said:
We were first introduced to the script by our manager at the time, Kelly McCormick, who is now my wife and producer. She introduced us to Basil Iwanyk and Peter Lawson at Basil’s company [Thunder Road] maybe do second unit work on that script. So that was the first time we read it, and I think Bruce Willis might have been included at that time.
Ultimately, it would be Reeves who would approach Leitch and Stahelski and involve them in directing. As Leitch explained, it was still a time-consuming process for production, as he said:
When Keanu finally got attached, he brought us the script and said, “Hey guys, would you be interested in this?” But since we had already laid all the groundwork with Basil, we knew the film was too small for us to do just second unit based on where our careers were. Deep down, Kelly has always championed us as first unit directors, so we knew this was the perfect opportunity to reach out and ask Keanu to direct. So we went back to Keanu and said, “Hey, man, it’s a little small for us, but what do you think we do all this?” And he said, “Yes, please. Let’s do it. How do we make this happen?
So it was a mad rush to get an offer to go to Thunder Road, and we did it over a weekend. We’ve put together our vision of what Derek Kolstad’s script could look like. As a second unit director, you don’t get to do these things, but over the past two years, we’ve launched a few other projects and started to understand the process of selling yourself. So if preparation plus opportunity equals miracles, that’s how we ended up doing it. All stars aligned.
What Casting Willis Would Mean for John Wick
Willis had experience with different features that proved his potential
While it may be difficult to imagine anyone other than Reeves playing Wick, Willis’ filmography makes a strong case for his portrayal. While he still falls short of Wick’s anticipated age range in the early stages of production, he is closer in age to the initially considered Clint Eastwood and Harrison Ford, meaning he would have fit well with the tone of the original character. His stoic demeanor would suit John Wick very welland he can also be a menacing presence on screen.
Additionally, Willis took on similar roles in his later career, from his many appearances reprising the role of John McClane in Die Hardlater sequences of playing retired black ops agent Frank Moses in the RED series. As such, it proved that Willis could be the right man to play a reluctant hero brought back into action, making him a strong contender for the role of John Wick.
Our Take on Willis’ Potential John Wick Casting
Reeves brought something only he could to the role
While Willis may have been considered for the role of John Wick, Reeves more than proved himself to be perfect in the role. Although the character utilizes the same qualities that many of Reeves’ previous action roles have had, Your performance instead reshapes these qualities as being the signs of a man reluctant to return to that bloody world and regretting what remains of his peaceful life. As such, the character Wick would become better suited Reeves’ style.
Additionally, if Willis had taken on the role of Wick, the franchise may not have unfolded in the same way, as Willis’ battle with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia led to the actor retiring in 2023. While it all worked out, at the very end with Reeves, it cannot be denied that Willis could have provided his unique take on the John Wick character who could have played to his strengths.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter