The Surprising John Wick Cameo In Matrix Resurrections Revealed
The Matrix Resurrections has a ton of references and Easter eggs in it, and one of them is a John Wick cameo that most viewers probably didn't even realize.
The Matrix Resurrections features an incredible John Wick cameo appearance that, we suspect, most of the audience did not even notice, but it is quite perfect and very beautifully done. The fourth installment to The Matrix franchise leans heavily on the meta-aspects of the film, and the Matrix itself, so it’s no wonder that its narrative included numerous self-references from both the fictional universe and real life. One of those references is Chad Stahelski’s appearance in the newly released film.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Stahelski was shocked upon reading the script Lana Wachowski sent, thinking that the director was joking and having a laugh at his expense. It is well known, at least among movie buffs and Matrix fandom, that Chad Stahelski worked as a stunt performer and coordinator when he was booked as a stunt double for Keanu Reeves’ Neo in the original The Matrix and its subsequent sequels. During that time, Stahelski developed a successful creative partnership with Reeves, both in stunts and the John Wick blockbuster franchise, which began with 2014’s John Wick — which was co-directed by Chad Stahelski. The franchise sequels, on the other hand, are fully directed by him.
We’ll keep the details of his part in The Matrix Resurrections — now commonly referred to as “Handsome Chad” by those who have seen the film — undisclosed and best left for the audience to discover on their own. We’ll only say it made us chuckle and say that his role opposes Neo and Trinity in an unexpected way, while his overall appearance serves as a nod to his services as Keanu Reeves’ stunt double in the first film and his collaboration with the actor on the John Wick franchise. And there’s even more depth to his cameo, besides collaborative efforts between the actors and the cast.
Prolific directors and stunt coordinators aren’t really asked to act in films, which made Lana Wachowski’s request unusual, but given Stahelski’s involvement in the original trilogy, his deep professional relationship with Reeves through both the MAtrix and John Wick franchise, and the nature of his role, made him perfect for the new film. Not to mention that the original trilogy propelled his own career, and Matrix Resurrections’ mockery of the reboot culture, as well as franchise filmmaking, or any other kind of media franchising. All of these added up to make a simple cameo into a metaphorical deep dive into his connection with the cast, crew, and the franchise as a whole.
It also serves as a testament to the genius of Lana Wachowski, who once again took known elements and combined them into something unprecedented, at least in 2021, considering that The Matrix Resurrections stands as a real cinematic treat that outperforms anything produced this year. Except maybe John Wick 4, which had the same-day release date as the new Matrix film, requiring Reeves and Stahelski to appear on-screen and behind the scenes on two different films on the very same day. Instead, the next John Wick film, starring Keanu Reeves, was pushed back to March 2023.
