There are a lot of things that makeJohn Wickgreat, but Willem Dafoe’s role in the original film established the franchise’s penchant for bringing in scene-stealing guest stars to round out the cast. WhenJohn Wickwas first released in theaters in 2014, no one expected it to launch a blockbuster franchise that could go toe-to-toe with Marvel andFast & Furious. But the seeds of a potential franchise were there. The revelation of a fancy hotel chain that caters specifically to the assassin community teased the impressiveworldbuilding that theJohn Wickfranchise has been built on.
Above all, what audiences love about this franchise is the characters. The title character has become a mythic figure in pop culture, revitalizing Keanu Reeves’ career, but there are plenty of fascinating supporting players around him, too. Winston gave John a lovable, if morally questionable father figure, while Charon gave him a close friend to confide in. There are a ton of iconic supporting characters inJohn Wick, including one who set a great precedent for the franchise. AsJohn Wickcelebrates its 10th anniversary, it’s high time that the unsung hero of the original movie was finally recognized.
Willem Dafoe’s Marcus Is The Most Underrated Part Of John Wick (2014)
Marcus Teased A World Of Eccentric Assassins
From the visceral stunt work to the gorgeous neon-tinted cinematography, a lot of aspects of the originalJohn Wickfilm have been rightly praised. Butthere’s one part of the movie that remains criminally underrated: Willem Dafoe’s scene-stealing role as Marcus. Marcus is at the center of the movie’s best subplot. As Viggo puts out a $2 million bounty on John’s head, he hires John’s own mentor and close friend — a skilled sniper named Marcus — to kill him. Butinstead of killing his old protégé, Marcus decides to protect Johnfrom the other assassins.
John Wickcelebrated its 10th anniversary on August 15, 2025.
When Perkins sneaks into John’s room at the Continental to break hotel rules and assassinate him, Marcus (who’s watching through his sniper scope from across the street) fires a warning shot to alert John to her presence. Perkins reports Marcus to Viggo, who has him tortured and killed. Even with his life on the line, Marcus refuses to sell out John. He was a fascinating character, andDafoe brought enough depth and gravitas to the role that he could’ve sustained a movie of his own. Maybe they’ll make a prequel one day about Marcus training John to kill.
Dafoe’s John Wick Character Teased The Franchise’s Impressive Future Supporting Cast
Dafoe Was The First Of Many Great John Wick Scene-Stealers
Dafoe’s role inJohn Wickteased the impressive supporting players that would join the ensemblein the sequels. Reeves is the undeniable star of theJohn Wicksaga, but he’s always been surrounded by great co-stars — and Dafoe was just the first of many cinematic icons to share the screen with Wick throughout the series. InJohn Wick: Chapter 2, he battled Common as Cassian and Ruby Rose as Ares. Spaghetti western legend Franco Nero had a memorable cameo appearance as the manager of the Rome Continental.
Reeves is the undeniable star of the John Wick saga, but he’s always been surrounded by great co-stars — and Dafoe was just the first of many cinematic icons to share the screen with Wick throughout the series.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellumbrought in Mark Dacascos as Zero, Anjelica Huston as “The Director,” and Asia Kate Dillon as “The Adjudicator.”John Wick: Chapter 4pushed the boat out even further and brought in Donnie Yen as Caine, Bill Skarsgård as the Marquis de Gramont, Scott Adkins as Killa, Shamier Anderson as Mr. Nobody, and Clancy Brown as the Harbinger. Dafoe opened the floodgates for moregreat supporting actors to join theJohn Wickcast.
The John Wick Movies Have Since Become Known For The Most Amazing “Guest Stars”
From Laurence Fishburne To Halle Berry
Marcus was the first old friend of John’s to come out of the woodwork to protect him from the bad guys. In the movies that followed, it would become a recurring trope that John had an endless supply of old friends he could rely on for help, and those old friends have all been played by actors who are as legendary, iconic, and scene-stealing as Dafoe.John Wick: Chapter 2brought a heartwarmingMatrixreunion as it reteamed Reeves with his old co-star Laurence Fishburne, playingthe Bowery King, the head of a network of homeless assassins.
18 Actors John Wick’s Director Wants To Work With For Chapter 5
From Jet Li to Jason Momoa to Michelle Yeoh, there are plenty of actors whom director Chad Stahelski wants to work with in John Wick: Chapter 5.
InJohn Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, when the High Table put a price on his head, John fled to Morocco and called onSofia Al-Azwar, played by Halle Berry, to help him. InJohn Wick: Chapter 4, as John prepared to take down the High Table’s leadership, he fled to Japan, where he was helped by Shimazu Koji, played by Hiroyuki Sanada. Dafoe was the first of many greatJohn Wickguest stars. He set the precedent that paved the way for Fishburne, Berry, and Sanada to join forces with the Baba Yaga in the sequels.
John Wick
Cast
John Wick is a 2014 action thriller featuring Keanu Reeves as a retired hitman. The film follows John Wick as he emerges from retirement to avenge the loss inflicted by a group of gangsters, setting the stage for a relentless pursuit and exploration of a shadowy underworld.
