When we think about versatile actors, Keanu Reeves might not be the first name that comes to mind. Still, the unassuming Canadian actor has a filmography that spans nearly four decades and nearly every genre. Reeves became a household name thanks to his portrayal of an affable time traveler in 1989's "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure." He's done period pieces (1988's "Dangerous Liaisons"), indie dramas (1991's "My Own Private Idaho"), Shakespeare (1993's "Much Ado About Nothing"), and that was all before he became one of the biggest stars in the world with 1994's "Speed" and 1999's "The Matrix."
However, between 1999 and 2014, Reeves didn't have another hit of the same caliber. His big-budget films, like 2005's "Constantine," were underwhelming. His attempts at being a romantic leading man in 2001's "Sweet November" and 2006's "The Lake House" met with disappointing results. Then, in 2014, he was reborn as a more mature action star in "John Wick." The original action revenge thriller and the character Reeves helped create proved so popular with critics and audiences they spawned a four-film franchise, all of which have maintained stellar reviews and pleased crowds.
While John Wick isn't technically a superhero and the "John Wick" movies aren't based on existing comics, the titular hitman does everything a superhuman protagonist would do, and the four chapters are arguably more expertly choreographed and filmed than any DC or Marvel movie. Keanu's action hero (okay, maybe sympathetic anti-hero) second act couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy.
