From subtle Easter eggs to mind-blowing connections with The Matrix, dive deep into the fascinating world of John Wick! Discover the meaning behind the gold coins, uncover the truth about his iconic suits, and learn about the incredible stunt work that brings this legendary assassin to life. Which of these hidden gems surprised you the most?
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00:00If you don't do this, you know the consequences.
00:06Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the top 20 things you probably didn't know about John Wick movies.
00:14There will be spoilers.
00:16Like you looked at me and you were like, Wick is pain.
00:20Number 20. Recurring Stuntmen, the John Wick franchise.
00:25Hard to believe that the 2014 blockbuster that took the world by storm was made on a tight budget, right?
00:37But the first John Wick film only cost about $20 to $30 million, a modest sum for an action flick.
00:45So how did they pull it off? Creativity and resourcefulness.
00:48Co-directors Chad Stahelski and David Leach, both experienced stunt coordinators, worked magic with a tight stunt team.
00:57Instead of spending on extras, these stuntmen were reused multiple times.
01:02Thanks to clever direction, long takes, and slick camera work that keep your eyes glued on Baba Yaga, you barely notice.
01:10I'm pretty sure that I have died more than anyone else in the Wick series.
01:14With fast-paced chaos featuring masked henchmen, it's also easy to miss that John's fighting the same people twice.
01:22Even in the fourth chapter, stuntmen had to die more than once.
01:26Number 19. John's Coded Interaction with Francis, John Wick.
01:31While most people are dumb enough to go against the Reaper in a suit, one man's smart enough not to.
01:37And that's Francis.
01:38Hello, Francis. Mr. Vick.
01:43Besides being played by former pro wrestler Kevin Nash, that's another interesting detail that makes this bouncer so memorable.
01:51You know the story. Vigo's son kills John's dog, and all hell breaks loose.
01:56When Wick storms the Red Circle Club to kill Yosef, John catches Francis off guard, pulling a gun on him.
02:03Instead of shooting, John compliments his weight, which, according to Nash himself, was a subtle code asking how many guards are inside.
02:11Are you here on business, sir? Afraid so, Francis? Why don't you take the night off?
02:19Francis answers the question and walks away alive.
02:22Smart move. Bet you thought John spared him because he didn't see a reason to kill him.
02:27Nope. He lived because he cooperated.
02:30Number 18. Shibumi, John Wick.
02:32Sometimes, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it detail can foreshadow an entire movie, and John Wick sneaks in a great one.
02:39You have good day, sir.
02:43During the first part of the movie, John drives towards an airport runway and stops at a security checkpoint.
02:50A security guard gives him a knowing look and lets him through.
02:53If you pause, you'll see he's holding a book titled Shibumi by Trevanian.
02:58Not only is it reportedly one of Stahelski's favorite books, it also sets the tone for what's to come.
03:04It's about a retired assassin dragged back into the game.
03:08Sound familiar? Fans of the book might even catch a deeper link.
03:11The book's protagonist once used a pencil as a deadly weapon.
03:15Ring a bell? So yeah, that little paperback isn't as random as it looks.
03:29Number 17. The Unspoken Agreement. The John Wick franchise.
03:34If you've watched the John Wick movies, you've probably noticed something odd.
03:38The police never really go after John or meddle in the underworld's bloody affairs.
03:43If you notice, in either of the John Wicks, they don't kill innocents, they don't kill cops,
03:48it's completely hidden, it's within their own business.
03:51So as long as they maintain that, the cops are cool.
03:53These killers tend to handle things on their own.
03:56Remember the scene where a cop shows up at John's house after he takes out a team of assassins?
04:01Spotting a dead body, Jimmy doesn't bat an eyelid.
04:04He simply asks him cordially about work and leaves him to carry on.
04:08Good night, John. Good night, Jimmy.
04:10In a chat, the directors revealed there's an unspoken understanding
04:14between the underworld community and law enforcement.
04:17As long as they're not harming innocent citizens, the cops don't interfere.
04:22There's not dirty cops, it's just they're in the know, we're in the know, it's good.
04:25The cops have their own world, which maybe we'll explore in John Wick 19.
04:28Or perhaps due to the sheer power of the network, the police either fears or respects them.
04:34Number 16. Red and Blue. The John Wick franchise.
04:37Long before John started racking up headshots,
04:41Keanu Reeves was dodging bullets as Neo in The Matrix.
04:45Trinity! Help!
04:55But the connection between these iconic movies goes beyond the leading man.
04:59Stahelski was actually Reeves' stunt double in The Matrix,
05:03but most of us probably know that.
05:04However, the ties don't end there.
05:07John Wick borrows some memorable quotes and even brings back Morpheus.
05:11Yep, that's Laurence Fishburne as the Bowery King.
05:14Another clever nod?
05:16Soon after they meet, the Bowery King opens a locker containing red and blue items.
05:21And picks the red one.
05:23It seems to me that the real question, Mr. Wick,
05:27is who in this cruel world of ours is going to help you?
05:32The Matrix fans will totally get it.
05:35These aren't the only times that made the John Wick franchise feel more and more like an extended part of the Matrix universe, though.
05:41Stay tuned for another Neo reference soon.
05:44Number 15. John Wick's Gray Suits.
05:47The John Wick franchise.
05:49John isn't just the man you send after the boogeymen.
05:52He's also the sharpest dressed assassin.
05:54Welcome back to Rome.
05:56While the film's moody lighting might fool you into thinking he's always in black,
06:03most of his suits are actually dark shades of gray.
06:06Costume designer Luca Mosca, who cameos in Chapter 2,
06:10revealed that John always dons a dark gray suit except on rare occasions, like the Rome sequence.
06:16While it may look like he's dressed for the Met Gala,
06:19John's wardrobe carries deeper meaning.
06:21The look isn't just inspired by his glock's sleek nature.
06:24It symbolizes a man always in mourning,
06:27unlike characters like Viggo, who boldly wears red shirts.
06:32Yeah, I kind of enjoyed that.
06:35Yeah, I know you did.
06:38Stylish as they are, John's suits are also built for combat.
06:42It appears every detail is planned.
06:44Number 14.
06:46The Gold Coin.
06:47The John Wick franchise.
06:48After wiping out the hit squad sent to kill him,
06:51John makes a dinner reservation, which is code for a cleanup crew.
06:56I'd like to make a dinner reservation for 12.
06:58When they show up, he pays them in gold coins.
07:01Seems like a lot for just cleaning up, right?
07:03Well, in John Wick's secret world, gold coins aren't your typical cash.
07:08Neither are they valued by weight.
07:10They're more like a professional bond or an agreement sealed by honor.
07:14So a couple of coins can get you a drink or a custom weapon for a big job.
07:19When you go to the hotel, a coin just symbolizes like, I'm in the know.
07:23You know, I'm in the know.
07:24So that's worth, it could be worth, it's point of entry.
07:27So it could be worth a meal.
07:29It could be worth a drink.
07:30It could be worth access into the club.
07:32It's not about the item.
07:33It's about the code.
07:34For someone like John, who has tons to trade for secrecy and top tier services,
07:39it's a clear sign he's a major player in this deadly world.
07:43Number 13.
07:44The Harbinger's Four Fingers.
07:46John Wick, Chapter 3, Parabellum.
07:49In this chapter, John's on the run for breaking a golden rule,
07:53killing on continental grounds.
07:56Now excommunicado, John travels deep into the desert to meet the Elder,
08:01the only man who can wipe his slate clean.
08:03The choice is yours.
08:07Die here and now, or continue to live and remember through death.
08:12But forgiveness comes at a price.
08:14To prove his loyalty, John chops off his finger,
08:17the same one holding his wedding ring.
08:20It's brutal, but symbolic.
08:22He isn't the only one missing a finger.
08:24When the Harbinger, played by Clancy Brown,
08:26shows up at the New York Continental Hotel,
08:29you can see he has just four fingers.
08:31Coincidence?
08:32Not likely.
08:35The manager, please.
08:46The Harbinger is here to see you, sir.
08:50He may have at one point crossed the high table too,
08:53and had to prove his loyalty in the most painful way.
08:56Number 12.
08:57John's Body Count.
08:59The John Wick Franchise.
09:00When you're a renowned hitman like John Wick,
09:03leaving a trail of bodies is simply part of the job.
09:06What are you really doing here, Marcus?
09:11Just checking up on an old friend.
09:21Goodbye, John.
09:22At the start, John's just a grieving widower living with his dog.
09:27That is, until a group of thugs awaken the sleeping giant.
09:30From there, it's all out chaos.
09:33Several sources have calculated that John goes from killing 77 people in the first film,
09:38128 in the second,
09:41to dropping 94 in chapter 3.
09:43In the fourth film, a jaw-dropping 140.
09:48Whoa.
09:49That's over 400 kills.
09:51More than enough to make villains and even other action heroes jealous.
09:54Who knows how many more will fall to the guy you don't mess with in future installments.
10:07Well, John's not called the Baba Yaga for nothing.
10:11Markers are challenge coins plus blank check.
10:14The John Wick Franchise.
10:16John Wick's underworld has two strict rules.
10:19No killing on continental grounds.
10:22And markers must always be honored.
10:24Two rules that cannot be broken, Jonathan.
10:28No blood on continental grounds and every marker must be honored.
10:32Winston reminds John of this when he hesitates to take out Santino's sister.
10:37Later in chapter 3, when John's being hunted,
10:40he calls in a favor from Sophia using this special object.
10:44What then do these markers mean?
10:46There are no ordinary pieces of metal,
10:49but a blood oath that binds two individuals in an agreement.
10:53If you owe someone a debt, the marker seals that pact.
10:56Break an oath?
10:57You might as well dig your grave.
10:59Derek and I sat down and went,
11:00well, what if the marker is like a check?
11:02Yeah.
11:02You can buy something, you trade it with it.
11:05In a 2023 interview,
11:08Stahelski revealed that the idea was inspired by real-life military challenge coins
11:12and basically acts as a blank check.
11:15Give it away and you're handing over your life.
11:18Number 10.
11:19A Basketball Cameo
11:20John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum
11:23While trying to get as much done as possible during his hour grace period
11:28before a bounty on his head becomes active,
11:31John Wick finds himself at the New York Public Library.
11:34He picks up a book of Russian fairy tales by Alexander Afanasyev,
11:43some of which feature the Baba Yaga.
11:45Soon, he encounters Ernest,
11:47a very tall assassin looking to collect the bounty on Wick.
11:51I still have time.
11:52It's almost up.
11:54Who's gonna know the difference?
11:56You sure this is what you want to do?
11:5814 million, it's a lot of money.
11:59After a brief fight, Wick is able to dispatch him.
12:03Ernest is played by NBA big man Boban Marjanovic,
12:07who's also appeared in a few other films, TV shows, and commercials.
12:11Perhaps he would have been more successful against Wick
12:14if they played some 1v1 on the court.
12:16Number 9.
12:24Iron Chef
12:25John Wick Chapter 3 Parabellum
12:28In order to punish John Wick for breaking the rules at the Continental,
12:32an adjudicator seeks out Zero.
12:34Faced with the prospect of taking out Wick,
12:36Zero happily agrees to be of service.
12:39I'm interested.
12:42Very.
12:42It's not by coincidence that when the adjudicator approaches him,
12:47Zero is working as a sushi chef.
12:49The character is played by actor Mark Dacascos.
12:52How can I help you?
13:00Dacascos portrayed the chairman in the cooking show Iron Chef America.
13:04It's a neat little call-out to the classic show,
13:06and now we're wondering how things would have played out
13:09if Zero and Wick battled it out in the kitchen instead.
13:13Low fish.
13:14Very.
13:15Fatum.
13:20Not a slide.
13:21Number 8.
13:22A Bold Back Tattoo
13:24John Wick
13:25Once Viggo Tarasov realizes that John Wick will be coming for revenge,
13:30he tries a diplomatic approach.
13:32He calls Wick up and asks if they can talk it out.
13:35Let us not resort to our baser instincts
13:38and handle this like civilized men to move on.
13:42When that doesn't work,
13:44he resorts to sending a crew to take out Wick.
13:46John readies himself for an influx of enemies by first taking a shower.
13:51Here, we see a tattoo across his back with the Latin phrase,
13:54Without getting into a whole etymology course,
14:04it roughly translates to fortune favors the bold,
14:07or fortune will help those who are strong.
14:10Given the amount of damage someone like John Wick can do,
14:13fortune is definitely by his side.
14:15You, uh, working again?
14:17No, I'm just sorting some stuff out.
14:20Yeah, what a living.
14:21Oh, well.
14:25I'll leave you be then.
14:26Number 7.
14:27A Dangerous Drink
14:28John Wick
14:29Following an attack in his own home,
14:32John Wick wakes to find his car stolen by his assailants.
14:36Where'd you get that car?
14:47Wick sets out to find answers,
14:50and pays mechanic shop owner Aurelio a visit.
14:53There, he learns Yosef Tarasov
14:55is the person responsible for the automotive theft.
14:58Following their conversation,
15:00Wick simply asks Aurelio to provide him with a new car.
15:03So what are you going to do?
15:12I need a ride.
15:18However, at the beginning of their talk,
15:20Aurelio pours Wick a drink.
15:22Looking closely at the bottle,
15:23its label reads,
15:24Peligroso.
15:26Is it here?
15:33It was.
15:39Translated from Spanish,
15:40it can mean dangerous.
15:42It's a nice little bit of foreshadowing
15:44of who John Wick is.
15:46Number 6.
15:47Sharon,
15:48the John Wick franchise
15:49When John Wick pulls up to the Continental Hotel,
15:53he's met by Sharon at the front desk.
15:55There, Wick gives him a gold coin.
15:57And we later see Wick paying for services provided by others with more coins.
16:07In fact, when Wick digs up his weapons cache in his basement,
16:11he has several guns and a bunch of coins.
16:18What's interesting to note here is that Sharon is a character in ancient Greek mythology
16:23who would shepherd souls across the rivers Styx and Acheron,
16:27and payment would be done with gold coins.
16:30Throughout the series,
16:31Wick has sent many souls to the underworld,
16:34all paid for in gold.
16:36Mr. Wick,
16:38do enjoy your party.
16:42Number 5.
16:44Guns.
16:44Lots of guns.
16:46John Wick Chapter 3.
16:48Parabellum.
16:48When Winston refuses to step down as manager of the New York Continental
16:53Hotel,
16:54John Wick is sent to kill him.
16:55And you're not stepping down?
17:00No.
17:02I don't think I am.
17:04So it's war.
17:06You're going to war with the high table.
17:09Scamish.
17:10As the two men come face to face and exchange words,
17:13Wick decides he will not kill Winston.
17:16Since they refuse to comply,
17:18the adjudicator has the status of the Continental
17:20changed to one that is deconsecrated.
17:23Meaning that the hotel is no longer neutral.
17:26Business may now be conducted on Continental grounds.
17:29Since you are refusing to step down,
17:31and you are refusing a direct order,
17:33your lives are now forfeit.
17:35Agents of the high table will soon arrive to remove their souls.
17:38In order to fight them off,
17:40Wick is going to need guns.
17:41Lots of guns.
17:42Our services still off limits to me.
17:46Under the circumstances,
17:47your privileges are reinstated immediately.
17:50What do you need?
17:52Guns.
17:53Lots of guns.
17:55This line, while cool,
17:57is a direct quote from Neo in The Matrix,
17:59when he and Trinity go to rescue Morpheus,
18:02consequently played by Lawrence Fishburne,
18:04who also appears in the John Wick franchise.
18:07Number 4.
18:09Baba Yaga.
18:10John Wick.
18:11There's only one man who can kill the boogeyman,
18:13and that's John Wick.
18:15This fact is especially troubling
18:17if you just ended Wick's puppy's life
18:19and stole his car.
18:21I heard you struck my son.
18:24Yes, sir, I did.
18:25May I ask why?
18:27Yeah, well,
18:29because he stole John Wick's car, sir,
18:31and, uh,
18:33killed his dog.
18:39Oh.
18:40Antagonist of the film,
18:42Viggo Tarasov,
18:43comes to learn that's exactly
18:44what his son Yosef has done.
18:46Viggo reveals that Wick was known as Baba Yaga.
18:49They called him Baba Yaga.
18:51The boogeyman?
18:56Well, John wasn't exactly the boogeyman.
19:02He was the one you sent to kill the boogeyman.
19:06In Slavic folklore,
19:08Baba Yaga is generally depicted as an elderly woman,
19:11but one who can punish those who do wrong by others.
19:14Viggo knows what Wick is capable of,
19:16despite Yosef's claims of being able to set things right.
19:20Baba Yaga also collects souls,
19:22and Wick is coming to do just that.
19:24You will do nothing because you can't do nothing.
19:28Number 3.
19:29Watch placement.
19:30John Wick.
19:32John Wick is a bit of a mystery.
19:33We don't know too much about his background.
19:35We know he's a prolific assassin.
19:37The aforementioned Baba Yaga.
19:39Who do you wish to die as?
19:42The Baba Yaga?
19:44The last thing many men ever see?
19:46Or as a man who loved and was loved by his wife?
19:51We also know that he's someone you definitely do not want to upset,
19:55or he might just be the last person you ever see.
19:57While more of his backstory is revealed in a line of comics from Dynamite and sequel movies,
20:02a bit of a clue to his tactical background is given to the audience during the first film.
20:07So start with this, because the card doesn't count.
20:10If you pay close attention to his wrist, you'll notice he's wearing a watch,
20:14but it's facing downwards.
20:16This is a tactic commonly used by combat soldiers
20:19to prevent light reflecting off the dial,
20:22and giving away one's position.
20:24Hello, John.
20:28I heard about your wife.
20:30I'm sorry, my condolences.
20:32Number 2.
20:33Last Words.
20:34The John Wick Franchise.
20:36It should come as no surprise that John Wick overcomes his enemies by movie's end.
20:41What may be surprising, however,
20:43are similar parting words offered to John once someone has met their end.
20:47After Viggo Tarasov is defeated,
20:50he says to John that he'll be seeing him soon.
20:53I've been seeing you, darling.
20:57Yeah.
20:59I've seen you.
21:00Similarly, after John takes down Ares,
21:04Santino D'Antonio's security enforcer,
21:07she signs that she'll see him soon as well.
21:15Sure.
21:16When Wick overcomes Zero,
21:18he says they'll catch up.
21:20You just gotta catch my breath.
21:23I'll catch up to you, John.
21:30No, you won't.
21:32What differs are John's responses in each situation.
21:35Over the course of the series,
21:37it seems John's position changes on whether or not he'll encounter these foes again.
21:42Before we continue,
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21:54make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications.
21:58Number 1.
21:59A Week Timeline
22:00The John Wick Franchise
22:02Time is relative.
22:12Even though years go by between film releases of each installment of the John Wick franchise,
22:16the same can't be said for the passage of time in terms of the actual story.
22:21If it seems like it was just yesterday that Wick was out getting revenge for what was done to his dog,
22:26you'd be right.
22:27The first three films span about a week.
22:30You've heard the stories about him, of course.
22:32Killed scores of men this past week alone because of...
22:34A dog.
22:36A car.
22:37It's actually crazy to think that an individual such as John Wick
22:40has been able to do all the things he's done,
22:43not to mention all the places he's traveled in such a short amount of time.
22:47If it were us, we would have passed out a long time ago.
22:58What other hidden details have you discovered in the John Wick movies?
23:02Let us know in the comments.
23:03Tell them.
23:06Tell them all.
23:17Tell them all.