John Wick’s Unsung Hero Explains How the Keanu Reeves Franchise Is Still So Good 10 Years Later

There are many things that do John Wick great, but Willem Dafoe’s role in the original film established the franchise’s trend of bringing in scene-stealing guest stars to round out the cast. When John Wick was first released in theaters in 2014, no one expected it to launch a blockbuster franchise that could take on Marvel and Fast and Furious. But the seeds of a potential franchise were there. The reveal of a high-end hotel chain that specifically caters to the assassin community sparked the impressive world-building that the John Wick franchise was built.

Above all, what audiences love about this franchise are the characters. The title character has become a mythical figure in pop culture, revitalizing Keanu Reeves’ career, but there are also plenty of fascinating supporting characters surrounding him. Winston gave John a lovable, if morally questionable, father figure, while Charon gave him a close friend to rely on. John Wickincluding one that set a huge precedent for the franchise. As John Wick celebrates its 10th anniversary, it’s about time the unsung hero of the original film was finally recognized.

Willem Dafoe’s Marcus is the most underrated part of John Wick (2014)

Marcus sparked a world of eccentric killers

From visceral stunt work to gorgeous neon cinematography, many aspects of the original John Wick film was rightly praised. But There’s one part of the film that remains criminally underrated: Willem Dafoe’s scene-stealing role as Marcus. Marcus is at the center of the film’s best subplot. While Viggo places a $2 million bounty on John’s head, he hires John’s own mentor and close friend – a skilled marksman named Marcus – to kill him. But Instead of killing his former protégé, Marcus decides to protect John of the other killers.

When Perkins sneaks into John’s room at the Continental to break hotel rules and murder him, Marcus (who is watching through his sniper scope from across the street) fires a warning shot to alert John to her presence. . Perkins reports Marcus to Viggo, who tortures and kills him. Even with his life at risk, Marcus refuses to betray John. He was a fascinating character and Dafoe brought enough depth and gravitas to the role that it could have sustained a film of its own.. Maybe one day they’ll make a prequel about Marcus training John to kill.

Dafoe’s John Wick Character Teased the Impressive Supporting Cast of the Franchise’s Future

Dafoe was the first of many great John Wick scene stealers

Dafoe’s role in John Wick teased the impressive supporting actors who would join the ensemble in sequences. Reeves is the undeniable star of John Wick saga, but he was always surrounded by great co-stars – and Dafoe was just the first of many cinematic icons to share the screen with Wick throughout the series. In John Wick: Chapter 2he fought Common as Cassian and Ruby Rose as Ares. Spaghetti Western legend Franco Nero made a memorable appearance as coach of Roma Continental.

John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum brought Mark Dacascos as Zero, Anjelica Huston as “The Director” and Asia Kate Dillon as “The Adjudicator”. John Wick: Chapter 4 pushed the boat even further and brought in Donnie Yen as Caine, Bill Skarsgård as the Marquis de Gramont, Scott Adkins as Killa, Shamier Anderson as Mr. Dafoe and opened the floodgates for more great supporting actors to join the John Wick cast.

Since then, the John Wick films have become known for the most incredible “guest stars”

From Laurence Fishburne to Halle Berry

Marcus was the first of John’s old friends to come out of the woodwork to protect him from the bandits. In the films that followed, it would become a recurring trope that John had an endless supply of old friends he could count on for help, and those old friends were all played by actors who are so legendary, iconic, and stealing. scene as Dafoe. John Wick: Chapter 2 brought a moving Headquarters reunion by reuniting Reeves with his former co-star Laurence Fishburneplaying the Bowery King, the head of a network of homeless killers.

In John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellumwhen the High Table put a price on his head, John fled to Morocco and called Sofia Al-Azwar, played by Halle Berry, to help him. In John Wick: Chapter 4As John prepared to overthrow the leadership of the High Table, he fled to Japan, where he was helped by Shimazu Koji, played by Hiroyuki Sanada. Dafoe was the first of many great John Wick guest stars. It set the precedent that paved the way for Fishburne, Berry, and Sanada to join forces with Baba Yaga in the sequels.