When John Wick was released in 2014, it was simply a standalone movie following a retired assassin who resumed his violent ways to exact revenge on the people who killed the dog given to him by his late wife. And yet, because John Wick did so critically and commercially, it ended up being the first chapter of a film series that's delivered four installments, and that franchise has now evolved into a cinematic universe. Along with The Continental prequel series being released on Peaco*ck, there’s also a spinoff movie on the way called Ballerina, which is being directed by Len Wiseman, and was written by Shay Hatten and Emerald Fennell.
Ballerina, which takes place between the third and fourth John Wick movies, is also a tale driven by revenge, with the title protagonist, a fellow assassin from John's unique corner of the criminal underworld, hunting after the people who murdered her family when she was a child. That’s the extent of what we know about the plot so far, but the upcoming 2025 movie's cast is another story. Let’s go over who’s been unveiled for Ballerina so far, starting with the star of his action-packed event, Ana de Armas.
Ana De Armas
In October 2021, four years after Ballerina’s existence was revealed to the public, Ana de Armas was tapped to lead the spinoff. This news arrived a few weeks after de Armas was seen starring opposite Daniel Craig in No Time to Die as Paloma, a CIA operative who teamed up with James Bond in Cuba. Between Craig’s final Bond flick and The Gray Man (which can be watched with a Netflix subscription), de Armas has enough action experience under her belt to make her a solid choice for leading Ballerina.
Ana De Armas’ character, i.e. the young woman going on this revenge quest, is named Rooney, who was previously played by Unity Phelan in John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum. Following that cameo appearance, now the time has come for moviegoers to follow along with a recast Rooney as she seeks her own vengeance.
Ian McShane
The Continental hotel chain caters exclusively to the criminal underworld in the John Wick universe, acting as neutral ground where “business” cannot be conducted, i.e. no killing people on its grounds. For decades, Winston Scott has owned The Continental’s New York branch, but so far we’ve only seen his involvement in what’s been going on in John Wick’s hectic life.
Well, along with Peaco*ck’s The Continental series showing what Winston was up to in the 1970s (with Colin Woodell playing him during this time period), Ballerina has also recruited Ian McShane to reprise the older version of the character. Because Ballerina is set between the third and fourth John Wick movies, it’s easy enough to see Ana de Armas’ character crossing paths with Winston at the New York Continental, since it's still standing at this point. The question is, will he directly help her out like he’s done with John Wick, or will he stick with being a neutral observer?
Anjelica Huston
We may not know for sure yet if Ana de Armas’ character is someone we’ve already met or not, but with a title like Ballerina, we can comfortably deduce some of her background. In John Wick: Chapter 3, Keanu Reeves’ character visited Anjelica Huston’s The Director, the head of the Ruska Roma crime syndicate and John’s mother figure when he was growing up. This is the woman who instructed John and many other orphans in the ways of the assassins, but we also saw her overseeing ballet training among the young ladies under her care with the intent to teach them that art is pain.
With Anjelica Huston set to return as The Director in Ballerina, it stands to reason Ana de Armas’ character will reunite with the woman who handled her care after her family died, just like John did. Whether The Director aids the protagonist in her quest like she begrudgingly she with John in Chapter 3 (and paid for it by having her hands stabbed) is another matter.
Lance Reddick
Winston Scott may run the New York Continental, but naturally the hotel’s concierge plays a key role in making sure the operation runs smoothly. That prestigious job once belonged to Lance Reddick’s Charon, whom Ballerina producer Erica Lee described as “an indispensable part of the world of Wick.”
While the first two John Wick movies primarily saw Charon behind a desk or looking after John’s dog while he was on the job, Chapter 3 finally got to see him jump into the action when he helped John defend The Continental from The High Table’s forces after the hotel was temporarily deconsecrated. Sadly, Chapter 4 saw Charon being executed by the Marquis Vincent Bisset de Gramont, and Reddick himself passed away shortly before the movie's premiere. Still, we may get the chance to see him gun down some bad guys one last time in Ballerina.
Keanu Reeves
After originally being reported by Collider, Keanu Reeves confirmed at the Brazil Comic-Con that he will indeed reprise John Wick in Ballerina. However, for those of you who were hoping for a full-fledged team-up between John and Ana de Armas' character, temper your expectations. Reeves said at the convention that he's only in the spinoff for "a few sequences."
Still, this is a good synergetic move on the studio’s part. That said, because John Wick's part in the spinoff is small, I’m hoping it’s not teased in previews ahead of the release, as this would make for a delightful surprise for John Wick fans who don’t follow along closely with movie news. Also keep in mind that because John Wick: Chapter 4 ended with the implication that Reeves' character has died, unless Lionsgate decides to move forward with Chapter 5, Ballerina could be the last time we see the actor in this role
Catalina Sandino Moreno
Now we come to another newcomer who will be joining Ana de Armas alongside these John Wick alums. Catalina Sandino Moreno, who earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as María Álvarez in 2004’s Maria Full of Grace, has reportedly been tapped for a “sizable role” in Ballerina, although Deadline did not have any details about her character. Maybe she’s a member of the family that de Armas’ character lost (like an older sister), or maybe she’s simply an assassin who’s either an ally or enemy to the protagonist, but evidently we’ll be seeing a lot of her. Moreno’s more recent credits include The Affair, Barbarians and the sci-fi series From.
Norman Reedus
While Norman Reed’s made waves in the late ‘90s and early 2000s with The Boondocks Saints, Blade II and Deuces Wild, but these days, he’s best known for playing Daryl Dixon in The Walking Dead. While the franchise’s flagship show ended in November 2022, Reedus is going on to lead a Daryl spinoff show, but ahead of that, he’ll be taking part in Ballerina. As with Catalina Sandino Moreno, no details about Reedus’ character have been disclosed.
Gabriel Byrne
Film-wise, Gabriel Byrne has starred in some heavy-hitters over his acting career of 40+ years, including Excalibur, Miller’s Crossing, The Usual Suspects and Hereditary. Over in TV, he’s best known for Dr. Paul Weston in HBO’s In Treatment, and more recently he’s been seen in shows like Vikings, Marco Polo and War of the Worlds. Producer Basil Iwanyk told Deadline that because you “can never quite be sure” what the actor is thinking, “that’s perfect for this world.” Ian McShane later informed Collider that Winston and Charon will help protect Rooney from Byrne's villainous character.
David Castañeda
When Ballerina entered reshoots, two more actors were added to the main cast, per Deadline. The first of this duo is David Castañeda, who is arguably known best for playing Diego Hargreeves on Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, which debuts its fourth and final season later this year. You may have also seen Castañeda in shows like Poker Face and Most Dangerous Game, and the film side of his resume includes Sicario: Day of the Soldado, The Tax Collector and The Guilty.
Sharon Duncan-Brewster
Just like with David Castañeda, we have no idea who Sharon Duncan-Brewster is playing in Ballerina yet. However, since John Wick director Chad Stahelski came onto the reshoots to work on additional action sequences with Len Wiseman, perhaps that means we'll see these two in such sequences, rather than being relegated to the movie's quieter moments. In any case, if Duncan-Brewster's role performance as Liet-Kynes in Dune doesn't ring a bell (as seen above), she has an extensive resume of other film and TV work, including Rogue One, Enola Holmes 2, Doctor Who and Sex Education.
Ballerina began principal photography in Prague in early November 2022, and concluded the following February. It's slated for release on June 6, 2025. Keep visiting CinemaBlend for more updates on Ballerina’s progress, including other actors who will be along for the ride. Watch The Continental, the three-episode John Wick universe event series, with your Peaco*ck subscription.
