John Wick: Chapter 4: Hiroyuki Sanada joins the cast in mystery role

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

After suiting up as Scorpion in Mortal Kombat and plotting an absurdly outlandish heist in Army of the Dead, Hiroyuki Sanada is joining the cast of John Wick: Chapter 4. The Japanese-born actor's role for the upcoming John Wick sequel remains a mystery at this time, though you can bet the life of your family pet that he'll play someone cool, calculated, and out for blood. Sanada joins previously announced cast members Keanu Reeves, Donnie Yen, Rina Sawayama, and Shamier Anderson.

Sanada's next starring role is for Sony's Bullet Train starring Brad Pitt. Based on the popular manga Maria Beetle by Kotaro Isaka, Bullet Train will follow several "assassins who find themselves on a fast-moving bullet train from Tokyo to Morioka with only a few stops in between. Strangely, they discover their missions are not unrelated to each other." Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) leads an ensemble cast that also includes Joey King (The Kissing Booth), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (The King's Man), Brian Tyree Henry (Eternals), Andrew Koji (Warrior), Zazie Beetz (Joker), Masi Oka (Heroes), Michael Shannon (Knives Out), Logan Lerman (Hunters), Lady Gaga (A Star is Born), and Sandra Bullock (The Lost City of D).

“Having long admired Hiroyuki as both actor and action performer, I’m thrilled and honored to welcome him to the John Wick family,” said director John Wick: Chapter 4 director Chad Stahelski.

The fourth chapter in Liongate's John Wick franchise is currently in pre-production. In January, Ian McShane, who plays Winston in the series, mentioned that John Wick: Chapter 4 and John Wick: Chapter 5 will shoot back-to-back. This, of course, lines up with what Lionsgate CEO John Feltheimer revealed last summer. McShane added that he's always been a big fan of the franchise. "They got such a good cast for the first one and it was a very good script," McShane said. "I thought the second one wasn’t quite as good, but people by then loved it and went with it. I think the third one was really terrific, so it lived up to it. I always thought it had legs because of Keanu, a dead wife, a dog, a gun, and a great car. It had all of the elements, so how can you fail?"

The cast for John Wick: Chapter 4 is getting sweeter by the day, folks. Who do you think Sanada will play in the new film? Will he be the sequel's primary villain? Perhaps he's got a bone to pick with Mr. Wick? Most assassins typically do. Wich had better watch his back.