Jason Mantzoukas’ Pitch for ‘John Wick 4’ Involved Killing John Wick

This weekend sees the release of John Wick: Chapter 4, the latest installment in the Keanu Reeves action series set in an alternate universe where high-end suits are mandatory, and it’s never not raining. The fourquel sees the return of several John Wick cast members, including Ian McShane, Laurence Fishburne and the late, great Lance Reddick. And presumably, whoever’s job it is to keep Reeves’ hair the same color it was back in his Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure days is back, too.

One familiar face, however, won’t be returning: Jason Mantzoukas, the beloved comic actor/unhinged podcaster who showed up in John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum as a Bowery King henchmen known as “Tick Tock Man” — not because he’s constantly posting bite-sized videos of himself on social media, but because he has a nice watch and reminds John Wick that time is a thing. 

Despite the fact that director Chad Stahelski previously sang Mantzoukas’ praises in interviews, claiming that he “adds a lot to the film, and the world expansion,” adding that “he's a fucking great guy,” the Tick Tock Man isn’t in the new film, which is a colossal letdown. Perhaps the filmmakers should have gone with Mantzoukas’ idea for John Wick Chapter 4, subtitled Wick and the Tick.

As Mantzoukas told Conan O'Brien back in 2019, he foresaw a movie that mainly involved “me and Keanu Reeves getting into hijinks.” What kind of hijinks? At one point, the mismatched pair would go on a double date that “doesn’t go well.” Oh, and since John Wick has a dog, the Tick Tock Man would get a parrot. And then, in the end, the Tick Tock Man kills John Wick for some reason. Then the next movie would be John Wick Chapter 5: The Tick Tock Man Chronicles.

For some dumb cowardly reason, Hollywood didn’t bite, and we are cinematically worse off because of it. 

You (yes, you) should follow JM on Twitter (if it still exists by the time you’re reading this).