John Wick 4: Cult-Favorite Action Star Scott Adkins in Talks to Join Sequel

Production on John Wick: Chapter 4 began this week in Germany and the franchise is continuing its trend of showcasing action actors on the big stage with its latest casting. According to a report from Deadline, action star Scott Adkins has been tapped for a role in the upcoming movie but details about who his character will be and his place in the film are unclear. Adkins has previously made a name for himself starring in direct-to-video action movies like the "Undisputed" franchise and others like El Gringo and Jarhead 3. He's previously appeared in major Hollywood productions too though with roles in The Expendables 2, Doctor Strange and X-Men Origins: Wolverine (doubling Ryan Reynolds' "Weapon XI").

The John Wick franchise has made it a point in each movie to recruit action stars that have previously made a name for themselves in the genre or stars that haven't yet had a chance in the spotlight of a blockbuster. For the first movie actors like Willem Dafoe, John Leguizamo, and Kevin Nash joined the cast cast while John Wick: Chapter 2 brought in Ruby Rose and Common, and John Wick: Chapter 3 added Halle Berry, Mark Dacascos, and stars from The Raid Cecep Arif Rahman and Yayan Ruhian. To that end, joining Adkins in John Wick 4 will be Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada and Hong Kong star Donnie Yen.

John Wick 4 will naturally see the return of Keanu Reeves to the title role. Japanese-British pop star Rina Sawayama and Pennywise himself Bill Skarsgard will also star in the movie. Reeves' The Matrix co-star Laurence Fishburne has also confirmed that he'll return for the film, reprising his role of The Bowery King who appeared in John Wicks 2 and 3.

"I read the script. It's really, really cool," Fishburne told Collider about the sequel. "As much as it's the same world as the other three films, it's just deeper. It's much deeper in terms of the code of the assassin. And the relationship that he has with one character in particular who I think Mr. Watanabe is playing...is really the heart and soul of it."

John Wick: Chapter 4, which has director Chad Stahelski back behind the camera once again, will arrive on May 27, 2022. Filming on the movie is scheduled to take place in Germany, France, and Japan before all is said and done, something that the success of the franchise has spurned further.