John Wick Star Reportedly Planning to Pull Double Duty on Upcoming Spinoff

Donnie Yen might soon trade his white cane for a director’s chair while maintaining his role as the enigmatic blind assassin Caine in the expanding John Wick universe. Fresh off his critically acclaimed performance in John Wick: Chapter 4, the martial arts legend is in discussions to both star in and direct a spinoff centered on his character. With Yen directing, it may be a major step forward for the series, combining his long history of making action movies with a deeper look into the assassins’ world through the story of his fascinating character.

The movie is moving forward, with the martial arts legend confirming to ComingSoon.net, “We are in the developing stage. I just had another interview with another interviewer. I wasn’t supposed to share this, but he told me he just had a talk with Chad [Stahelski], and Chad kind of spilled something to him. So I guess I’m okay to share a little bit. We are in a development stage, and we’ll see what happens. I believe in the timing and the fate, and they wanna do it. I’m up for it.”

Speaking separately to Collider, Yen acknowledged discussions about taking the helm as director.

“It is true,” he confirmed. “I think both the fans, as well as the studio, want this to happen, and we’ll see. I don’t know. I can only tell you that much. But yes, we are talking, and we are talking intimately. We’ll see what happens.”

While plot details remain under wraps, Yen hints at early creative developments.

“I have to flesh it out. I have a couple of ideas in my mind of how I would like the story to go. But we’ll see. I don’t want to give away too much because I don’t know if I’m in that position to give that away. But they’ve been very persistent, and they’ve been very passionate about me taking on this project.”

The veteran actor, who garnered critical acclaim for his performance in John Wick: Chapter 4, expressed both enthusiasm and caution about the responsibility.

“At the same time, I hold responsibility as well as a pressure that I don’t want to ruin the franchise,” he explained. “I try to do my best to bring something fresh to the franchise itself. I don’t want to bring down the expectations for the fans.”

Despite being better known for his on-screen work, Yen brings a great deal of directorial experience, having helmed films like Legend of the Wolf, Shanghai Affairs, and, most recently, The Prosecutor. Speaking about his latest directorial effort, Yen told Collider the $25 million thriller “is giving me a fair chance of showing what type of director I am and the potential of me being a director.”

The actor-director emphasized his hope that John Wick director Chad Stahelski would remain involved.

“He better be there!” Yen exclaimed. “I want to make sure it’s going to be a lot of fun. My attempt is to try to make something that won’t disappoint the fans and the general audience.”

The Caine spinoff, first announced in May 2024, joins other expanding elements of the John Wick universe, including the upcoming Ballerina starring Ana de Armas, which features Keanu Reeves in a cameo role. The news comes as Reeves recently downplayed the possibility of starring in a fifth main installment, telling CBS News, “My knees are saying I can’t.”