John Wick 4 adds Mortal Kombat and Army of the Dead actor in an undisclosed role

John Wick
(Image credit: Lionsgate)

Get over here! John Wick 4 is firing on all cylinders with its new casting additions – this time adding Hiroyuki Sanada, who played Scorpion in the recent Mortal Kombat movie.

As per a Deadline report, Sanada – who also featured as Bly Tanaka in Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead – will appear in an "undisclosed role."

"Having long admired Hiroyuki as both actor and action performer, I’m thrilled and honored to welcome him to the John Wick family," director Chad Stahelski said of the news.

Curiously, the Japanese actor has a past history of not only flexing his action muscles, but flexing them alongside John Wick lead Keanu Reeves. He played Oishi, the leader of the Ronin in the 2013 movie 47 Ronin.

John Wick 4 has seriously bulked out its cast in recent months in anticipation of filming the next chapter in the Keanu Reeves-led franchise.

Musician Rina Sawayama is set to make her big-screen bow, while Donnie Yen has joined the cast as an old ally of John Wick. Bill Skasgard has rounded out the cast, but it’s unknown yet what role he’ll be playing. No official word yet on the likes of Lance Reddick and Ian McShane returning to the cast, but expect them to be back.

Early reports also indicate that John Wick is going to be a globetrotting adventure. Collider expects cameras to start rolling this month, with stop-offs in Paris, Berlin, a detour in Japan, as well as on John Wick’s home turf of New York City.

John Wick 4, with Army of the Dead co-writer Shay Hatten back on scripting duties with Michael Finch, is set for release on May 27, 2022 after being bumped out of its original May 2021 slot. John Wick 5 will follow – but won’t be filmed back to back with Chapter 4 as originally intended.

Find out what’s coming to cinemas in the next six months with our guide to 2021 movie release dates. Plus, if you’re on the lookout for a new TV, get ready to grab some of the best Prime Day TV deals before they’re gone.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.