John Wick co-creator David Leitch reveals that a different action-movie icon was once in the running to play the formerly retired assassin portrayed by Keanu Reeves. Leitch and Chad Stahelski’s 2014 action thriller saw Reeves’ titular hitman dragged back into the criminal underworld after a mafia boss’s brash son kills his dog, setting him on a path of revenge. The movie shattered studio expectations, pleased critics, and earned a solid profit at the box office, leading to John Wick spawning an ongoing franchise.