Keanu Reeves is officially returning as John Wick in an unexpected animated prequel.
The 62-year-old actor will voice the retired hitman in an anime film set before the original 2014 movie, Lionsgate confirmed after chair Adam Fogelson unveiled the project at CinemaCon 2025. The prequel will follow Wick as he completes the legendary Impossible Task to free himself from the High Table and be with his wife Helen.
Fogelson said at the presentation: “In both animation and the world of John Wick, the possibilities are endless. There is no John Wick story fans are clamouring for more than the Impossible Task. Shannon’s take on that story is an incredible one, and we are beyond excited to see what John Wick can do in animation.”
Longtime franchise director Chad Stahelski, who has helmed all four live-action entries, is spearheading the move into animation. The shift to voice work follows years of punishing physical performances by Reeves, including an on-set incident where he accidentally cut open another actor’s head and another stunt performer getting struck by a car.
Stahelski shared in a statement: “I’ve always been fascinated with anime. It has always been a huge influence on me, especially with the John Wick series. To have the opportunity to develop a John Wick anime seems to be the perfect progression for the John Wick world. I feel John Wick is the perfect property for this medium – anime holds the potential to expand our world, our characters, and our action in ways unimaginable before.”
Reeves last appeared as the character in 2024’s From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, where he starred alongside Ana de Armas in the spin-off film. By the time the anime releases, more than 12 years will have passed since he first assumed the role that many now consider his signature performance, eclipsing even his iconic turn as Neo in The Matrix trilogy.
The Impossible Task has been referenced throughout the franchise as the mysterious feat that allowed Wick to leave his assassin’s life behind and marry Helen, though the live-action films have never depicted it directly. The prequel format finally answers fan demand to see that story unfold.
No release date has been announced, and further plot details remain under wraps. The project marks Lionsgate’s most significant expansion of the Wick universe into animation, building on the franchise’s global box office success across four mainline films.
Reeves has played Wick in four separate live-action outings since 2014, with each installment escalating both the body count and the elaborate action choreography that has defined the series. The move to anime allows the franchise to stage sequences that would be impractical or impossible in live-action production.
