- Thanks to The Continental, there’s growing chatter over who could play a young John Wick.
- Dylan O’Brien is one of many actors that look equipped to handle the action role.
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson may be the best fit if the John Wick story gets a reboot.
The endgame for the John Wick franchise may have already arrived. John Wick 4 was by all accounts the best installment of the series, and it’s arguable there’s nowhere to go from here but down.
Keanu Reeves hasn’t said a firm no to another sequel, though, so John Wick 5 is still a possibility.
Whether it happens or not, however, Reeves can only continue as the face of the franchise for so long. He is pushing 60, and eventually, Hollywood will hit the pause button and eventually reboot the franchise.
Before then, they might consider taking a break and seeing what they can do with the series on the small screen.
It’s already been entertained, of course, with the announcement of John Wick spin-off, The Continental.
That series is a prequel to what we’ve seen to this point, though. The John Wick TV series I’m dreaming up would basically reset the franchise and tell the story from a new angle, with a different actor leading the charge.
While Keanu Reeves will always be John Wick, someone else can pick up where he leaves off and give us a slew of new, action-packed stories to follow. The question, of course, is who would star in a John Wick TV series?
There are countless actors who could toss their hat in the ring, but here’s five actors who could play a young John Wick.
5. Dylan O’Brien
O’Brien is one of the better young actors in Hollywood at the moment, and he’s proven himself capable of heading a blockbuster franchise.
He did a solid job in the lead role in American Assassin, and most will remember him from The Mazer Runner trilogy.
I’ve had O’Brien in the running to be the next Flash, but he has the looks and experience to be considered for a potential John Wick TV show, just as well.
If the studios are wondering who could play a young John Wick, O’Brien is in play.
4. Tom Holland
Next up on my shortlist of actors who could play John Wick in a television series is Tom Holland. Yes, I know he’s pretty busy these days, as he’s already playing Spider-Man and considering countless other projects.
Holland is still only just 26, and it’s likely Spider-Man will dominate his life into his 30s. Of course, he has suggested he may not want to commit to one role for that long.
Maybe it is time for me to move on. Maybe what’s best for Spider-Man is that they do a Miles Morales film…If I’m playing Spider-Man after I’m 30, I’ve done something wrong.
Tom Holland on playing Spider-Man for too long.
Would he also be against taking on a John Wick TV series and/or latching onto a big project for more than a handful of years?
It’s fair to wonder. Still, Holland is no stranger to intense action sequences, and he’s quickly become one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood.
With Keanu Reeves possibly exiting stage left when it comes to John Wick, the studios could turn to developing the character further in a series.
After all, other John Wick spin-off projects are already in the works.
The John Wick universe could be changing, or at least expanding. Nobody knows for sure what that will look like, but a John Wick show can’t be too far out of left field.
That could one day give us a John Wick prequel series, and someone young like Holland could be interesting.
3. Taron Egerton
Another potential John Wick TV show actor everyone would love is Taron Egerton. He’s becoming a massive star, of course, so his interest level is something that would have to be weighed.
The guy who has already played an assassin and rocked out as Elton John clearly has the ability to crush in this role, so there’s no issue there.
Egerton doesn’t have the grizzly look Keanu Reeves brings to the table, but he’s very much in his acting prime at 33 years of age, and he is the total package.
There isn’t a role Egerton can’t nail. Availability and interest could potentially take him out of the running, though.
2. Timothee Chalamet
There is doubt as to whether another big star like Timothee Chalamet would head to television, but I can see this happening if it got hauled into HBO Max.
Chalamet has a slight frame and is not known for action movies, but he flashed potential recently in Dune.
Mostly scene as a strong dramatic lead, Chalamet could bring a vulnerability to John Wick that Reeves was never able to.
Bulking up and gaining experience in combat could honestly morph Chalamet into the best version of John Wick we have ever seen.
The studios just need to make the call. Are they looking for actors who could play a young John Wick, or would they want an aged option like Reeves?
1. Aaron Taylor-Johnson
I think there are several solid options to play John Wick in a TV show, but my favorite has to be Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
He has everyone on this shortlist beat in the action department. He’s been a solider, he’s been a teen vigilante, he’s been a legit superhero, and he’s been a crazed lunatic.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a seasoned actor with loads of experience, and he’s impossibly still just 32.
I haven’t even begun to touch on how he has the looks and physicality of an assassin, and also resembles what a young John Wick would look like.
If we’re just doing more of the same, replacing Keanu Reeves with an aged pivot like Hugh Jackman, Tom Cruise, or Karl Urban seems a little silly.
In fairness, those are all fine John Wick TV show candidates, but I have to think the studio would want to go younger and use someone they could envision picking the movies back up one day in the future.
For now, I’ll cap my potential John Wick TV show actors list here.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is my preferred option if this series ever gets made, but I can also understand Hollywood taking their time to restart this franchise in any capacity.
If he doesn’t get this gig, maybe he’ll get a shot at being the next Wolverine actor. X-Men Director Matthew Vaughn mentioned him among his first two choices, after all.
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