Derek Kolstad, the screenwriter, created the foundations for the John Wid universe in the 2014 film. However, he didn’t expect to have to expand upon it. He was surprised by the success of his first film, so he went back to work to create new adventures for Keanu Reynolds’s hitman with a heart.
Wick’s dog, his beloved pet, was murdered, which gave rise to the film’s first action. He’s called back to action this time by a former colleague, who he owes a favor. This is codified in an underground blood oath marker.
Wick is able to settle the matter with Tarasov’s crime family in the extended Prologue. However, Wick returns home only to be visited by Santino D’Antonio (Riccardo Scamarcio), an Italian crime lord. D’Antonio asks Wick to kill his sister Gianna. Although it’s hard work, it’s the only way he can get her seat at the shadowy High Table. It is almost like the assassin’s senate.
Wick has just finished killing every Tarasov goon, and he is ready to leave the assassin’s house. D’Antonio makes a shocking statement: Wick is obliged to do so because the Italian has a Marker. This is a medallion that symbolizes a blood oath among assassins.
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Kolstad explained that the Marker was mainly a result of wanting to make a movie with a blood oath. “In Westerns such as Pale Rider and Once Upon a Time In the West, there are always unspoken moments when a man walks into town, takes out a coin with his carved initials or something else and asks him for a favor. This was also our small nod to the deal with devil-scenario.
John must accept the blood oath as D’Antonio assisted Wick in leaving the criminal underworld so that he could marry Helen. It is not clear how Wick got out. It’s called the Night of the Impossible Task, in true Wick fashion.
Kolstad stated, “We discussed showing the Night of the Impossible Task. But then we realized that the phrase was more than enough.” “We didn’t want it to go back to see it because it was always larger and better in your imagination.” This kind of open-ended approach to continuing John Wick’s story led to D’Antonio and the Marker. “It was a great honor to bring in John’s friend, the man who helped him with the Impossible Task. You don’t know how he did that, which speaks volumes about the blood oath.
This basic mystery allowed Kolstad not only to weave it into Wick’s motivation but also into the larger ramifications for the Marker. Kolstad called it the “onion layers” of the John Wick universe.
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Kolstad stated, “The High Table and the Continental manage these blood oaths, so it wasn’t just a narrative thing where one character gives another their word.” It was more like someone gave you your word in front of a shadowy underworld notary. It’s over. You can see your blood getting shed for it with Winston [Ian McShane] signing it off.”
These details provide the Markers’ unspoken rule a paper trail and give rise to a litigious nature in the assassin ranks. It gives Chapter2 its dramatic thrust. Wick rejects the Marker as he wants to get out of the business. D’Antonio accepts Wick’s decision and quickly destroys his home with a grenade launcher. Winston, New York’s Continental hotel owner, warns John not to refuse the Marker. John accepts the mission of killing Gianna in Rome, and Chapter2 begins. It all comes back to the blood oath.
