Donnie Yen Joins Keanu Reeves in John Wick 4

Donnie Yen is going from Ip Man to Hit Man.

The Hongkong action star is set to appear alongside Keanu Reeves in John Wick Chapter 4, with Chad Stahlelski, the director behind the previous three instalments, back at the helm.

Plot details are under wraps, but we only know that Yen will play an old pal of John Wick, who shares the same history and many enemies as the baba yaga. 2019’s John Wick: Chapter 3 saw the super-assassin betrayed by his friend Winston (Ian McShane), setting him up for an all-out war with the council of crime bosses called the High Table.

Per Deadline, Stahlelski said in a statement, “We are very lucky to have Donnie Yen join the franchise. I am looking forward to working with him in this exciting new role.”

Added producer Basil Iwanyk: “Donnie Yen will bring a vibrant and powerful energy to the franchise. We were determined to bring him on board to John Wick 4 and are thrilled for the opportunity to have such a major talent to collaborate with Keanu.”

Yen’s other Hollywood credits include Highlander: Endgame, Blade II, Shanghai Knights, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, xXx: Return of Xander Cage and last year’s Mulan. He’ll next be seen opposite Nicolas Tse in Raging Fire, dropping July 30; it's the last movie directed by Benny Chan who died last August from nose cancer.

So far, Reeves, Yen and Sawayama are the only ones attached to the project. Maybe further down the road, the cast will include more players, like perhaps Indonesian action stars Joe Taslim and Iko Uwais?

When 8days.sg asked Taslim during The Swordman press tour if he would consider a part in the John Wick franchise like what his compatriots Yayan Ruhian and Cecep Arif Rahman did in Parabellum, he said, “I’ll fight John Wick!”

"The saga is still continuing,” he continued. “They need to bring in great action actors if they want to take [the franchise] to the next level. It’s just a matter of time before they call Iko [Uwais], me or our action friends.”

We hope so too.

Photos: TPG News/Click Photos