Director of John Wick spin-off The Continental defend Mel Gibson casting

The director of the upcoming John Wick spin-off, The Continental, has defended the casting of Mel Gibson in the new series despite the actor’s history of domestic violence and anti-Semtic comments.

The John Wick franchise has become one of the most successful and beloved action series in recent years. In large part due to the committed performance from Keanu Reeves as well as the focus on practical action and stunts.

While Mel Gibson is known for many iconic and major roles in Hollywood, the actor has become less and less involved in the industry as a result of his history of domestic violence and anti-Semitic comments.

In light of this, many fans of the John Wick franchise were disappointed to see that he had been cast in the upcoming spin-off series, The Continental.

However, in an interview with IGN, The Continental producers Basil Iwanyk and executive producer and director Albert Hughes discussed their decision to cast Gibson in the film despite the years of controversy that has surrounded the actor.

The Continental director defends casting Mel Gibson in the upcoming spin-off series

“No. I think he fit the role, he fit what we needed based on his film past,” Iwanyk said. “And I’ll leave others to debate the other stuff because it’s not a black-and-white issue, and I don’t want to be sound-bited and clickbait. That’s a tricky game to get into. I have my own personal beliefs in life and whatnot about everything, but I’m here to entertain. 

And earlier in my career I wasn’t so careful. But there’s a weight that he brought, the stuff that he brought from his past roles and what he has done that we needed for this role. And I don’t think anybody could have fit better, let’s put it that way, just with his chops and his experience.”

The first episode of The Continental is set to release on September 22, 2023. For all the latest John Wick news and updates, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.