The following contains spoilers for From The World of John Wick: Ballerina.Ballerina introduces new characters, lore, and possibilities to the John Wick franchise. Taking place during the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, the spinoff follows Eve Macarro (Ana de Armas), another pupil of the Ruska Roma, in her journey to avenge her father’s death at the hands of a mysterious cult. The 2025 spinoff dives deeper into the Ruska Roma and unexplored aspects of the universe, providing numerous directions the John Wick franchise can go next.
Through Eve’s violent quest for revenge, Ballerina expands the John Wick universe in some surprising, and sometimes subtle, ways. The deeper look into the Ruska Roma, the Kikamora’s training, and the introduction of The Cult hint at a much larger network of assassins and shadowy organizations than in previous films. With Ballerina leaving Eve’s story open-ended, the door is wide open for more chapters in the assassin universe. Additionally, introducing new characters like Norman Reedus’ Daniel Pine creates new possibilities to explore different stories from other trained assassins in the John Wick universe.
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Daniel Pine’s Survival Could Have Lasting Consequences
A New Perspective On What Happened To Eve’s Family
Through Eve’s brutal path of revenge, Daniel Pine (Norman Reedus) is introduced as a dangerous new character who finds himself in the same situation as Eve’s late father. Pine has a young daughter named Ella, and just like Eve, The Cult is after her and has placed a bounty on him. Eve meets Pine during her quest to look for The Cult. Once she discovers Ella, Pine pleads for Eve to fulfill her Kikamora duties and protect her. Eve then finds herself fighting against the other assassins to get answers from Pine and protect Ella.
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Every Fight In Ballerina, Ranked By Creativity
Ballerina continues the John Wick franchise’s history of presenting spectacular and creative action sequences on the big screen with newcomer Eve.
The introduction of Pine and Ella brings an interesting dynamic that mirrors that of Eve and her father. Contrary to Eve’s father, Pine survives his attack and is reunited with Ella thanks to Eve, who rescued her from Hallstatt at the end of the film. Due to these reoccurring escapes, a film focusing on Pine’s story before Ballerina could shed some light on The Cult and why so many fathers are running away with their daughters. It could also provide some context about Eve’s life and family before leaving, using Pine and Ella as a vessel to convey the message.
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The Ruska Roma & The Cult Introduce A Sinister New Power
A Different World To Explore
One of Ballerina’s biggest introductions was that of The Cult and the expansion of the Ruska Roma. Led by a mysterious figure called The Chancellor, The Cult operates out of a small town in Austria where they have families and indoctrinate their children into the brutal and fanatical ranks. The Cult is introduced at the beginning of Ballerina when Eve, as a child, witnesses her father’s death while he protects her from the group’s attempt to take her away. Although Eve kills The Chancellor by the end of Ballerina, it’s implied that the organization runs deeper than just one leader.
The film revealed a truce between the Ruska Roma and The Cult, which is probably null now that a Kikamora broke it. The introduction of these groups sets up plenty of exciting possibilities for future installments in the franchise, where the truce between the two assassin clans is explored, perhaps how it came to be in the first place. The franchise could also explore the life of The Cult in Hallstatt, focusing on their operations and the aftermath of the events in Ballerina.
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Eve’s Open Ending Leaves Her Story Just Beginning
Ballerina Could Have A Sequel
Eve’s journey in Ballerina is filled with pain, revenge, and growth, but it doesn’t end smoothly. By the end of the film, she’s killed The Chancellor and has slaughtered a large part of The Cult. However, the last scene sees Eve watching a Ruska Roma ballet show when she finds out The Cult has placed a $5 million bounty on her. The open ending could serve as a clear setup for future Eve-centric installments and could see de Armas taking over Keanu Reeves’ role as the center of the saga, becoming one of the few female leads in a blockbuster action franchise today.
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From The World Of John Wick: Ballerina Review – Ana De Armas Is A Dynamic Action Star In Bigger, Sillier Take On The John Wick Franchise
The world of John Wick gets a jolt of over-the-top energy with Len Wiseman’s Ballerina, which is a blast to watch but isn’t without its problems.
With the target on her back now, a Ballerina sequel could see Eve in hiding, fighting off assassins wanting the reward, and perhaps going back to Hallstatt to finish off The Cult. Whether a direct sequel to Ballerina or another spin-off, there’s plenty of rich material left to exploit. Whether Eve continues to seek justice for others like her, hides from The Cult, or tries to reconcile with the Ruska Roma, it would be exciting to see de Armas reprise her role as Eve Macarro. She delivers a performance with enough depth to anchor another chapter, and it’s clear that Eve’s story is not over.
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Ruska Roma’s Lore Adds Depth To John Wick’s Origins
There Could Be A Prequel Of The Baba Yaga’s Backstory
The Ruska Roma were first introduced in John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, but Ballerina expands their lore further. The Ruska Roma raised and trained both John Wick and Eve, though they parted ways with each of them once they chose different paths than the ones chosen for them. Ballerina depicts the Ruska Roma’s ruthless structure, elaborate training, and severe discipline, giving a better understanding of how assassins like Wick and Eve are formed. The expansion of this backstory enriches the entire franchise and opens the door to more questions about John Wick’s backstory.
There is a John Wick animated prequel in development that focuses on his impossible task before the events of the first movie.
For the first time, audiences see the rigorous training and ideology instilled into Ruska Roma recruits from childhood. The Ruska Roma’s connection to the High Table isn’t entirely clear, but their elite combat training mirrors similar Wick-world institutions. A future movie could explore John Wick’s backstory and how he ended up with the Ruska Roma in the first place. His training, first missions, and life before the events of the John Wick franchise could all be exciting new installments in the saga.
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Eve’s Future Could Intersect With John Wick’s Legacy
The Aftermath Of John Wick’s Death
Set during the events between Chapter 3 and Chapter 4, Ballerina features a memorable appearance from Reeves as the Baba Yaga himself. While his role is limited, he’s vital in Eve’s journey, and it is thanks to him that she was able to kill The Chancellor and survive. From the beginning of the film, it was clear that Eve admired John Wick, and now, having had his support during her outcast journey, a new film could see Eve reacting to the news of his death. While their interaction was brief, his legacy hangs heavy over Eve’s story.
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Ballerina Wants Eve To Be The Next John Wick – Should She Be?
Ana de Armas’ Eve is the newest protagonist introduced in the John Wick franchise, and she may be Wick’s perfect replacement after Ballerina.
How Eve reacts to his death could become a pivotal emotional moment. She might choose to honor his legacy by continuing to dismantle broken systems or protecting those who need it. On the other hand, she could learn more about Wick’s decisions and try to mold her path beyond vengeance. Either way, John Wick is gone, but the franchise is far from over. With de Armas leading the way, Eve might become the one who carries the franchise into the next generation.
