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How Heath Ledger's Joker In The Dark Knight Inspired John Wick 4's Standout Cameo
John Wick: Chapter 4 star Shamier Anderson, who plays the Tracker, reveals how his character is inspired by Heath Ledger's Joker. Keanu Reeves' titular assassin returns for his biggest and best outting yet with John Wick: Chapter 4. Once again directed by Chad Stahelski, the latest sequel also introduces a host of new characters for Wick to content with, including Rina Sawayama's Akira, Bill Skarsgård's Marquis, and Anderson's Tracker, aka Mr. Nobody.
In a recent interview with Vulture in which he also touches on the somewhat ambiguous John Wick: Chapter 4 ending, Anderson reveals that, surprisingly, one of the characters and performances he looked to for inspiration was Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight. Although Tracker and the Joker are quite different on the surface, they both clearly have very mysterious pasts, which is one thing that Anderson latched onto. Check out the actor's full comment below:
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“I looked at the Joker and studied a lot of what Heath Ledger did, how exciting that character was; you just knew that guy had a robust past. Like, Why did he get those scars? And, for me, Why do I have this canine? Why do I have this knapsack? Why am I dressed like this? This guy’s transient. He has pockets because he travels so much; he doesn’t really change.
That notebook you see in the film, I took that home and wrote a lot in there. That knapsack that he had on, I had a lot of personal items, like dog toys, dog treats, lighters engraved with my name. I just had to put my DNA on this. And I think it’s translating as people are infatuated with the Tracker.”
Should The Tracker Should Get His Own John Wick Spinoff?
The mysterious nature of the Tracker and the fact that very little is known about his past or his future is part of what makes the character such an intriguing prospect for a John Wick spinoff movie or TV show. It's clear that the Tracker is in need of a specific amount of money as evidenced in his notebook, but it's not clear what exactly he needs this money for. Anderson has previously said that, at least in his mind, the Tracker needs the money to help his mother in some way.
By the end of John Wick: Chapter 4, the Tracker hasn't achieved his goal, choosing to show Wick mercy after the assassin saves his dog. A Tracker John Wick spinoff could follow the mysterious character as he attempts to rake in his required amount of cash, delving further into his backstory but also what is driving him. The Tracker also doesn't dress or carry himself like anyone else in the John Wick network of assassins, which is something else that is begging for further exploration.
Of course, it could also be argued that the Tracker is better left shrouded in mystery. Part of what made Ledger's Joker such a compelling and memorable figure, after all, was that his past and his origins are never revealed. The villain famously gives several different accounts of how he got the scars on his face. It remains to be seen what is next for the Tracker after John Wick: Chapter 4, but Anderson evidently believes that there's more to be explored.
