John Wick Spin-Off Caine Lands Stranger Things Star Dacre Montgomery

If you thought Donnie Yen’s scene-stealing Caine was the best thing about John Wick: Chapter 4 (and honestly, who didn’t?), you’ll be glad to hear his spin-off movie is officially rolling cameras. And now we finally know who’s joining him for the ride.

Who's Back, Who's New, and What's Actually Happening

Let’s start with what we know: Caine will pick up right where Chapter 4 left off, so we’re sticking with a recently-liberated, guilt-ridden assassin who was last seen finishing the job and getting his freedom from the High Table. There’s no word yet as to whether Keanu's John Wick will make any sort of appearance (given his explosive exit from the last mainline film, it seems... unlikely), but at least one familiar face will definitely be back. Rina Sawayama is set to reprise her role as Akira, which is good news for anyone who thought her brief appearance last time was barely scratching the surface.

Joining the gun-fu festivities is Dacre Montgomery, aka Billy from Stranger Things. He’s in the cast in "an undisclosed role"—which sounds mysterious, but let’s be honest, probably involves getting kicked through a window at some point, because that’s just the John Wick way. If you saw last year’s little-seen Dead Man's Wire or the recent Faces of Death reboot, you’ve seen him take a punch or two before.

Quick Refresher: Where's This All Fit in the Wick-Verse?

• Ballerina (the Ana de Armas spin-off) technically happened before John Wick: Chapter 4; Keanu showed up in that one, playing Wick in what might be his final lap.
• The Continental, the Peacock TV series, was a prequel showing how the infamous assassin hotel came to be—promising ten episodes, delivering three, and dropping at the exact wrong time: in the middle of Hollywood’s strikes, so nobody could promote it. It pulled in a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes, but made about as much noise as a silenced pistol.
• Caine is the first real spin-off putting an existing, major franchise character in the spotlight—the big draw here is Donnie Yen front and center, not introducing a brand-new assassin to the dance floor.

So What’s Going On With Wick Himself?

If you’re still hoping for John Wick 5, you might not be totally out of luck. Adam Fogelson at Lionsgate told Business Insider not long ago: "Chad and Keanu have an idea that they think can be really exciting. There are a lot of steps, so I wouldn't want to put a timeline on it. But in terms of finding a core idea, they seem to have landed on something that they are excited about, and now we'll see." So, maybe? Don't hold your breath for a release date just yet, but nobody's killed the idea for good.

Bottom line: Donnie Yen’s Caine is coming back, he’s got Rina Sawayama and Dacre Montgomery in tow, and this spin-off could finally be the one that sticks the landing after some mixed attempts to grow the Wick universe. Stay tuned—and maybe start working on your sword-cane skills, just in case auditions open up.