The following contains spoilers for From The World of John Wick: Ballerina, now playing in theatersFrom the World of John Wick: Ballerinasets up a new corner of the John Wick franchise that nevertheless finds ways to connect Eve’s mission to save a young girl from a mysterious cult to John’s established storyline. Taking place during the events of previous films in theJohn Wickfranchise,Ballerinafollows another student of the Roma Ruska, Eve Macarro. The daughter of a trained assassin who died protecting her from a mysterious Cult, Eve was primarily raised under the Director, but defies orders to look into the Cult and potentially provoke a war between them.
Ballerina’s charactersare all compelling in their own right, firmly establishing their own corner of the setting while fitting into the overarching story of John Wick. Eve and John even cross paths on two occasions, coming to blows (and working together) the second time. Here’s how Eve Macarro’s battle with the Cult plays out inBallerina,how it intersects withJohn Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, and how it sets up for Eve’s future in theJohn Wickfranchise.
The Cult Places A Bounty On Eve Macarro: How It Sets Up A Ballerina Sequel
Ballerina Ends With Eve On The Run
The mysterious cult at the heart ofFrom the World of John Wick: Ballerinaends the film by placing a massive bounty on Eve Macarro, leaving her life in jeopardy and setting up her next adventures. By the end ofBallerina, Eve has fought her way through the Cult base in Hallstatt, slaughtering any of the members of the Cult she encounters along the way. She even dispatches the Chancellor, seemingly averting a war with the Ruska Roma (and appeasing the Director’s need to have her killed). However,the Cult takes its revenge by offering a massive reward for her death.
Ballerinaends with Eve heading off into an uncertain future. Eve is now effectively on her own, even though she does retain some allies like Winston. Any future stories involving Eve could center around her efforts to stay ahead of the assassins coming after her and what lengths she’ll have to go to avoid them, especially after her connection to the Ruska Roma was so damaged by her defiance of the Director.Eve could go into hiding, on the run, or even go on the offensive to take the fight to the Cult before they get her.
Does John Wick Do His Job In Hallstatt?
John Wick Has A Minor But Important Role In Ballerina
When the Chancellor threatens to start a war that could wipe out the Ruska Roma over Eve’s actions,the Director offers him the services of John Wickto dispatch the younger agent. John is given a small window to kill her, and initially seems to have the advantage over her. However, John sympathizes with Eve and ultimately gives her until the end of his window to complete her mission. If she does, he doesn’t have to finish his own job and kill her — but to preserve the Ruska Roma, he’ll kill her if time runs out.
Despite his nominal promise to the Director to kill Eve, John saves Eve during her shootout with the Cult, offering his services as a sniper and aiding her against some of the Chancellor’s tougher soldiers. In the end, Eve achieves her mission and saves her own life in the process, as John (and by extension the Ruska Roma) are satisfied that the conflict has been settled.While John technically didn’t do his job during his mission to Hallstatt, he still achieved the same ends (sparing the Ruska Roma a war with the Cult) by helping Eve bring them down.
How Ballerina’s Story Fits Into The John Wick Timeline
Ballerina Happens During The Events Of The Previous John Wick Films
While the opening sequence of Eve’s story happens long before the events of theJohn Wickfilms, much ofBallerinatakes place alongside the events ofJohn Wick 3: Parabellum. During her training with the Ruska Roma, Eve witnesses John “punch his ticket” with the organization so he could try and avoid the High Table. Eve even briefly speaks with John before he departs for Casablanca to meet up with Sofia. The film jumps ahead slightly after that to show Eve in the field and eventually taking on her mission to bring down the Cult.
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John Wick: Chapter 5
TBD
Ballerinalargely during the events ofJohn Wick 3: Parabellum, with the Director seemingly calling in a favor from John some time after “punching his ticket.” This is tricky to place in the exact timeline, but it could be during that brief window after John had sworn allegiance to the Elder but before he defied his orders to kill Winston. This would place much ofBallerinawithin that week that most of the thirdJohn Wickfilm takes place during.This suggests a sequel toBallerinacould pick up during or after the events ofJohn Wick: Chapter 4.
Who Is In Charge Of The Cult After The Chancellor’s Death?
The Cult Is Still Around, Even If Eve Takes Down The Chancellor
The Chancellor is established as the main antagonist ofBallerinafrom the onset of the film when he arrives to confront Javier over his departure from the Cult with Eve. His death (as well as the overall decimation of Hallstatt) would seem to be a serious burden on the Cult. However,Ballerinasuggests that the Cult has been at work behind the scenes for centuries, with the ending of the film proving thatthe Cult still has enough pull and power to put a very high bounty on Eve.
The Cult is hinted throughoutBallerinato be an ancient conspiracy that is just as old — or even older — than the High Table.
The new leadership of the Cult remains a mystery to the audience, however,raising questions about how they could factor into future storylines in theJohn Wickfranchise. The Cult itself is shrouded in mystery, with even the true name of the organization left unsaid. Withthe High Table seemingly stepping back as the overarching antagonists inJohn Wick’s future, the mystery of their new leadership and their desire for revenge against Eve and those who helped her could become a driving narrative for the franchise.
What Happened To Eve’s Parents?
Ballerina Doesn’t Fully Reveal What Happened To Eve’s Mother
Eve’s parents are both minor but important players inBallerina, even though the latter doesn’t appear in the film. Eve’s mother was a member of the Cult, eventually marrying Javier despite him being an “outsider.” Accepted into their way of life, the pair had two daughters — Lena and Eve. Eventually growing weary of the Cult and their ways, Javier escaped from them and took a still innocent Eve.Javier left Lena with the Cult, fearing his elder daughter was too far indoctrinated into the Cult and could threaten Eve.
While the fate of Eve’s mother is left unclear, it is suggested by the Chancellor that she “paid the price” for his desertion. Javier is killed off in the first sequence ofBallerina, rescuing Eve from the Cult’s grasp but at the cost of his own life. While Javier might be gone,there’s a chance that Eve and Lena’s mother could still be out thereand connected to the Cult, potentially setting up her appearance in a future entry in a prospective sequel toBallerina.
The Real Meaning Of Ballerina
Eve Chooses To Become More Than Just A Killer Seeking Revenge
Ballerinais ultimately a film about a woman who chooses to be an avenging guardian rather than what the world wants of her. Instead of being a loyal member of the Roma Ruska or an innocent like her father hoped,Eve chooses to investigate the Cult and then save the captured Ella from their clutches. Eve refuses to join with the Cult and become one of their soldiers, defying the Chancellor just by surviving his efforts to have her killed.Ballerinais a fun film that leans more heavily on creative action than big thematic throughlines.
However,Eve’s resiliency and role as a guardian in the face of the dangerous world around her is the big moral takeaway of the movie. Eve works to honor her father and help a man going through the same experience he did, saving a little girl from being orphaned just as she once was. This all comes down to Eve’s choices, a choice that separates from her sister Lena, who tragically never got such a choice before becoming an arm of the Cult.Ballerinais ultimately about a woman who chooses to be a guardian instead of just a soldier.
