Norman Reedus Talks Ana de Armas, Firefights, and Joining the ‘John Wick’ Universe in Ballerina

The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus opens up about his action-packed role in the high-octane John Wick spinoff.

Norman Reedus has been a post-apocalyptic icon for more than a decade thanks to The Walking Dead. Still, now he’s stepping into an entirely new kind of chaos—one built on elegance, vengeance, and perfectly choreographed violence.

In Ballerina, a standalone spinoff set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Chapter 4, Reedus plays Daniel Pine, a mysterious assassin who’s grappling with more than just enemies—he’s trying to protect his daughter from the dark world he was raised in. In a recent interview, Reedus opened up about what drew him to the role and how this new chapter in the John Wick universe let him dig deeper emotionally while still delivering the explosive action fans expect.

“I’m honored to join the John Wick world,” Reedus said. “There’s nothing like it — or its passionate fanbase.”

Norman Reedus’ character, Daniel, is an assassin born into wealth and power but burdened by his family’s violent legacy.

He’s walking a tightrope between protecting his daughter and preserving his place in this brutal world. “He’s got to figure out what’s important,” Reedus explained. “Does he raise her in this silver-spoon assassin lifestyle or run and try to give her a real childhood?”

While much of Daniel’s backstory remains beneath the surface, Reedus hinted at the internal tug-of-war that defines the character’s arc. That emotional duality—combined with stylish set pieces and dangerous intrigue—makes Ballerina stand out.

The film stars Ana de Armas as Eve Macarro, a ballerina-turned-assassin trained by the deadly Ruska Roma. After witnessing the murder of her father (played by David Castañeda), Eve is consumed by a need for revenge, breaking away from her orders and setting off on a violent and personal journey. “She wasn’t phoning it in—she was doing it,” Reedus said of his co-star. “She’s cool and she’s really tough.”

Ana de Armas trained intensively for the physically demanding role.

She worked with the industry-renowned stunt team 87Eleven. Reedus, who’s no stranger to gritty fight scenes, was still caught off guard by the level of intensity. “It’s pop-pop-pop for a long time,” he said. “In The Walking Dead, fights are messy. Here, you’re tracking which part of the wall is going to explode next to your head.”

Ballerina features franchise veterans like Ian McShane (Winston), Lance Reddick (Charon), and Anjelica Huston (The Director), while introducing new threats in Gabriel Byrne’s cult-like villain known as The Chancellor and Catalina Sandino Moreno’s enigmatic Lena. The film also marks a key reunion: Keanu Reeves returns as John Wick in a scene that puts him toe-to-toe with Eve in a high-stakes confrontation. It was one of the first action sequences filmed and immediately set the tone for the rest of the shoot.

Directed by Len Wiseman (Live Free or Die Hard, Underworld).

Ballerina leans into the emotional stakes behind the violence. Wiseman sought to explore the psychological toll of the assassin lifestyle, especially through Eve’s perspective as someone choosing to enter the world rather than escape it. The film expands the universe visually and geographically, with stunning sequences shot in Prague, Budapest, and the snow-covered Austrian village of Hallstatt.

Norman Reedus, who rewatched all four John Wick films in preparation, quickly recognized how special this world really is. And while Ballerina is packed with wild weaponry from flamethrowers to kitchen knives, the grounded performances and deeper themes of grief, identity, and legacy elevate it. “I’ve done a lot of action, but this? This is next level,” Reedus said. “It’s a fun ride for sure.”

Ballerina premieres exclusively in theaters on June 6, 2025.

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