Get to Know the Cast of the 'John Wick' Prequel
John Wick wasn’t originally meant to be a franchise, but now it’s one of the most successful action sagas in the world—and it’s about to take over your TVs, too. A small-screen spinoff, The Continental: From the World of John Wick, is set to premiere on Peacock in September 2023, ensuring that fans of the Wickiverse’s hyper-violent assassins will have plenty to keep them busy until John Wick: Chapter 5 eventually hits theaters.
“We didn’t know if we were gonna do a second one,” Chad Stahelski, who directed all four John Wick films, admitted to Deadline in March 2023. “Six months after we had done the first one, Keanu [Reeves] called and said: ‘How are we gonna do this? Do you want to do this?’ It took months to crack it. We thought, ‘Well, if there’s a Continental in every city, what’s the chance we can really blow that out?’ It wasn’t until we started writing the second one that we realized something. As long as we get rid of reality, as long as we don’t care about this being a grounded, gritty action movie and could be more of a fantasy film … well, that opened it up.”
The Continental—a chain of hotels patronized by assassins who must never do business on the property—is also the entry point for the new TV series, which will be helmed by Greg Coolidge and Kirk Ward. While Reeves isn’t likely to appear in The Continental given its 1970s setting, the show’s creators have promised to tell a story that allows fans to spend a little bit more time in the world of the movies.
“The four Wick films take place over a three-month span,” producer Basil Iwanyk explained in a June 2023 statement. “John is either chasing, or being chased. There has been no time to take a breath, to allow the audience to dig deeper into the world and its denizens. In our show, The Continental, we finally have space to explore these characters, how they became who they are, and how the Continental became the epicenter of this world.”
Related: Keanu Reeves's Net Worth in 2023 Kicks Butt
Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about The Continental: From the World of John Wick.
What is The Continental about?
Set in the 1970s, The Continental focuses on the titular hotel chain that provides a safe haven to the assassins and criminals in the John Wick movies. According to Peacock’s official synopsis, the series “will explore the origin” of the hotel “through the eyes and actions of a young Winston Scott as he’s dragged into the Hell-scape of 1970s New York City to face a past he thought he’d left behind.” Here, Colin Woodell will step into the role of younger Winston, who is played by Ian McShane in the movies.
Is The Continental based on the John Wick movies?
The Continental is a prequel to John Wick that’s set about 40 years prior to the events of the films; it also features characters and locations from the movies. John Wick himself, a child during the events of the show, is not likely to appear, but other characters from the franchise will be major players. In addition to Winston Scott, the series will feature a younger version of Charon, played by the late Lance Reddick in the movies.
Is there a trailer for The Continental?
Peacock released a short teaser for The Continental in April 2023. Set to “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer, the minute-long clip shows a young Winston Scott gazing up at the hotel that will be his future domain, but it’s otherwise pretty light on the specifics.
Who is in The Continental cast?
Colin Woodell (Winston Scott)
Katalin Vermes/Starz Entertainment
Colin Woodell will play Winston Scott, memorably embodied by Ian McShane in the movies. Since making his TV debut in 2013, Woodell has appeared in The Originals, Masters of Sex, The Purge and The Flight Attendant.
Mel Gibson (Cormac)
Katalin Vermes/Starz Entertainment
Mel Gibson is set to appear as Cormac, though little is known about his character at the moment. Gibson’s career has been marred by controversy, but in 2022 alone, the Lethal Weapon star appeared in seven films, including Bandit and Hot Seat. His last TV role, however, was in the short-lived 2004 sitcom Complete Savages.
Ayomide Adegun (Charon)
Katalin Vermes/Starz Entertainment
Ayomide Adegun will star as young Charon, who was played by Lance Reddick in the John Wick films. The Continental marks Adegun’s first TV role. He’ll make his big-screen debut later this year as Pliny in November’s The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes.
Mishel Prada (KD)
Katalin Vermes/Starz Entertainment
Riverdale fans may recognize Mishel Prada as Hermosa Lodge, the half-sister of Veronica. Prada has also starred in Fear the Walking Dead: Passage and Starz’s late lamented series Vida.
Ben Robson (Frankie)
Katalin Vermes/Starz Entertainment
Before landing the role of Frankie in The Continental, Ben Robson starred in the 2016 horror movie The Boy and appeared in the shows Vikings and Animal Kingdom.
Nhung Kate (Yen)
Nhung Kate starred in 2016’s The Housemaid and the Vietnamese film Bitcoin Heist.
Hubert Point-Du Jour (Miles)
Hubert Point-Du Jour’s character, Miles, is as yet a total mystery, but he’s previously appeared in Dr. Death, City on a Hill and The Good Lord Bird.
Jessica Allain (Lou)
Jessica Allain is already an old hand at action, having appeared in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and the 2022 edition of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. She’s also starred in Eddie the Eagle, Fear and The Laundromat.
Jeremy Bobb (Mayhew)
Peacock
Jeremy Bobb has had a busy schedule when it comes to TV, starring in everything from Escape at Dannemora and Russian Doll to The Outsider and The First Lady, in which he played former President Theodore Roosevelt.
Guest stars on The Continental include Peter Greene as Uncle Charlie, Katie McGrath as the Adjudicator, Ray McKinnon as Jenkins, Adam Shapiro as Lemmy, Mark Musashi as Hansel and Marina Mazepa as Gretel.
Is Keanu Reeves in The Continental?
While a Reeves cameo has been rumored for years (and would delight fans), the chance that he’ll appear as John Wick seems very slim. The Continental is set in the 1970s, meaning that John Wick was only a child during its events. If Reeves pops up, it would have to be in a flash-forward or as a different character entirely.
Related: How Keanu Reeves Really Feels About Being the Internet's Boyfriend
Is Lance Reddick in The Continental?
Ayomide Adegun will play a younger version of Reddick’s character, Charon, in The Continental. Reddick himself died March 17, 2023, at age 60. As is the case with Reeves, Reddick’s appearance as Charon wouldn’t make sense in the context of the show’s time period. As for the possibility of a flash-forward or a different role, Reddick is not known to have filmed any scenes for the series prior to his death.
Is The Continental from the John Wick movies a real place?
Unfortunately, you cannot stay at any of The Continentals from the John Wick movies as they are not real hotels. The exterior of the New York Continental Hotel is actually The Beaver Building at 1 Wall Street Court in New York City. The lobby belongs to the Cunard Building at 25 Broadway.
How many episodes are in The Continental?
The Continental only has three installments, but they’re reportedly each 90 minutes long, so it seems likely they’ll feel more like movies than regular TV episodes.
What is The Continental release date?
The Continental is set to premiere in September 2023.
How to watch The Continental
Peacock subscribers will be able to stream The Continental when it premieres in September 2023.
Will The Continental come to Netflix?
Because The Continental is a Peacock original, it is not likely to appear on Netflix in the future.
