The John Wick universe is expanding with Ballerina, a spinoff that is set in the same shadowy criminal underworld of the franchise.
The film stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, and it promises to offer fans a fresh perspective on the assassin world while carving out its own identity.
In a recent interview with Collider, de Armas shared insights into how Ballerina balances its connection to the main franchise while showcasing a distinctly different character and style.
Unlike Keanu Reeves’ John Wick, the character Eve Macarro brings a fresh energy and a unique approach to the action. De Armas explained how she focused on making Eve her own character:
“I think there are some trademarks in the style of the fights in John Wick, and things that he does that are very particular to him.
“But because in this movie we’re seeing through Eve’s eyes the background of that training that John had, and how these assassins and ballerinas, how these people become these assassins, there are some little details that are the same, but Eve Macarro is Eve Macarro. She’s not John Wick.”
As we expect from the John Wick movies, the action choreography plays a key role in maintaining the continuity of the universe. At the same time, de Armas and the stunt team tailored Eve’s fighting style to reflect her background as a ballerina.
“Through the training process and rehearsals, we kind of built these fights and tailored them to the things that I would do best.
“I was really good at kicking, and also because I’m a ‘ballerina,’ I’m supposed to be good at kicking; I was really good at close fights, like with knives and things like that.”
This process helped de Armas refine her physical performance and also shape Eve’s personality and identity. The actress said:
“Little by little, I was trying to get to know myself in this kind of world, and then the stunt team, the professionals, were seeing, also, the best things I could do. So, we found my own style along the way.”
Set between John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum and Chapter 4, Ballerina dives deeper into the Ruska Roma tradition that shaped both Eve and John Wick.
The film follows Eve as she seeks vengeance for her father’s murder, and familiar faces from the franchise will make appearances, including Keanu Reeves as John Wick, Ian McShane as Winston Scott, and Lance Reddick as Charon.
As the future of the John Wick franchise remains unclear with doubts surrounding a potential John Wick: Chapter 5 and spinoffs like the rumored Caine-focused film, Ballerina is the next installment fans can look forward to.
Ballerina hits theaters on June 6, 2025.
