Yeah, we think John Wick is back. But he’s not the star of the next film set in the John Wick universe. Instead, From the World of John Wick: Ballerina, which dropped its first trailer today, is introducing us to a new revenge-fueled lead in Ana de Armas as Rooney.
As the trailer shows, this film is fully embedded into the narrative of John Wick, with plenty of actors returning as de Armas plays one of the killer ballerinas first introduced in John Wick: Chapter III – Parabellum. She’s recruited by none other than Winston (Ian McShane) and delivered into the hands of The Director (Anjelica Huston). Of course, the big cameo in the trailer is John Wick (Keanu Reeves) himself, who shows up to give the Ballerina some tips in between the action of Chapter III and Chapter IV, well before his assumed death at the end of the latter film.
The trailer is crammed full of the kind of inventive action and gunplay we’ve come to expect from the series, and we already know that de Armas can handle it all from her turns in movies like No Time to Die. The only question mark is if director Len Wiseman can bring that same kind of eye for action that Chad Stahelski brought to the original four films. As The Continental showed us, it’s not as easy as he and Reeves make it look.
Also joining the cast for the film are Gabriel Byrne, Lance Reddick (filmed before his unfortunate passing), Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Norman Reedus. It’s definitely a strong cast, but it’s really all on de Armas to create a character as engaging as Reeve’s Wick. Of course, no revenge story will ever be as upsetting as Wick’s dog dying, but it does appear that Rooney is looking to avenge her father. Maybe the pet kitten he gave her will also die?
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina will release on June 6, 2025.