Dacre Montgomery, best known as Billy from Stranger Things, has been cast opposite Donnie Yen in Caine, the John Wick spinoff centered on Yen's blind assassin character from John Wick: Chapter 4. The casting, reported by Deadline, signals that the film will blend Hollywood star power with authentic martial arts action.
The John Wick universe keeps expanding, and Caine makes sense. Donnie Yen was one of the best parts of Chapter 4 - his fight scenes were spectacular, and the character had depth beyond just being another killer in a nice suit. Giving him his own film lets them lean into the martial arts choreography that Yen does better than almost anyone working today.
What's interesting is Montgomery's casting. He's not a martial arts performer, which suggests they're not just making a Hong Kong action movie with the John Wick branding. They're keeping one foot in Hollywood storytelling, presumably with Montgomery playing someone connected to Yen's backstory or current predicament.
The John Wick franchise has been smart about its spinoffs. Ballerina with Ana de Armas expands the world without just retreading what we've already seen. The Continental series explored the mythology of the assassin underworld. Caine gives them an opportunity to dive into a character who was deliberately mysterious in Chapter 4 - we know he's connected to John Wick's past, we know he's lethal despite being blind, but there's plenty of story left to tell.
