The gobsmacking climax to the newly-released John Wick: Chapter 4 has been delved into by Keanu Reeves.

Having finally killed Bill Skarsgård’s Marquis Vincent de Gramont, we realise that legendary assassin John Wick was dealt a fatal blow himself during their fight; he utters his late wife’s name and seemingly passes away right there and then.

A following scene features Winston (played by Ian McShane) standing at the character’s grave.

Attending the movie’s premiere at South by Southwest festival, a fan quizzed Reeves and director Chad Stahelski on this major twist.

“We had the opportunity [to do another film] because of the audience [response to] Chapter Three, and we were like, ‘What was the Why?'” replied Reeves (via The Hollywood Reporter).

“And when Chad and I was talking, the Why? was death — and it was John Wick’s death. For him to get his peace, or freedom, in a way… that was the reason to make the movie. It can’t just be, ‘Let’s do another one.’

“It was really about death, or a way of dying. We were really inspired by the Hagakure.”

Stahelski identified the Hagakure as a Japanese code of ethics, while the devoted tome Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai is a “practical and spiritual guide for a warrior”.

He clarified: “We kind of took the way of dying — or the way we live well to die well — as the theme.”

Further along, Baba Yaga actor Reeves selected his character’s final moment as Chapter 4‘s standout.

“When he says, ‘Helen.’ That, for me, after like eight years of playing the role and after shooting the [massive fight on the other set of stairs], that part that was [a poignant link] to the past.”