Theory: Nobody & John Wick Are Set In The Same Shared Movie Universe
The first trailer for Nobody bears strong similarities to John Wick. Could Bob Odenkirk and Keanu Reeves' assassins come from the same movie universe?
Is Nobody an extension of the John Wick universe? Given the current air of unpredictability hanging over the movie industry, 2020 has been relatively light in terms of big trailers, but the first look at Universal's Nobody injected some much-needed adrenaline into the festive season. Starring Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk, Nobody is directed by Ilya Naishuller, with Connie Nielsen and Christopher Lloyd occupying key supporting roles. The trailer is essentially 2 minutes of Odenkirk's mild-mannered Hutch Mansell delivering brutal beat-downs to any thug or criminal unfortunate enough to find themselves within punching distance.
Aside from the shock of seeing Saul Goodman turn into a one-man killing machine, Nobody's biggest talking point has been the stark similarity to John Wick. Starring Keanu Reeves as the titular ex-mercenary, John Wick premiered in 2014 and proved to be that year's most pleasant cinematic surprise, with a simple but effective plot, unforgiving intensity, and an in-form Keanu Reeves on the warpath. Following runaway success and widespread acclaim, John Wick has expanded into a full-scale cinematic universe, with an ongoing movie franchise and a TV series also in the works.
Given the obvious similarities between the two, comparison between Nobody and John Wick is inevitable. But instead of merely being influenced by Keanu Reeves' dog-friendly character, or following in his silent footsteps, could Nobody be another exploration of the ever-expanding John Wick universe? Given that one is distributed by Lionsgate and another by Universal, probably not, but these are strange times, and if Sony and Marvel can work together to bring back all the Spider-Men, then anything in possible.
If John Wick and Nobody really are part of one big shared cinematic universe, it'll be through their respective employers. In John Wick, the enigmatic High Table rule over the world's organized crime families, essentially claiming a monopoly on criminality. The High Table also oversee the Continental chain of hotels that provide services to the mercenaries on their books. While Wick was affiliated with the Continental, he primarily worked for the Russian Tarasov gang. How does Hutch fit into this existing mythology?
From Nobody's trailer, there are several hints that Hutch is connected to the Continental in some way. After his home is burgled, a police officer questions why Hutch didn't "take a swing." This obviously isn't something a cop would ever say in the real world, but John Wick had a police contact who would quietly clear up any assassin-related messes. The cop talking to Hutch could be another officer "inside the business" which would explain his surprise that Hutch let the thieves get away unharmed. Furthermore, Hutch's stash of gold bars are reminiscent of the gold coins from John Wick - a special denomination of currency specifically for Auditors, perhaps - and the "certain debt" Hutch ran away from could be a Marker - the unbreakable blood oaths made between assassins in John Wick.
Hutch's former job in Nobody is described as an "Auditor" and this title doesn't exactly conjure images of Russian mob bosses and organized crime gangs. Instead of working for a specific high-ranking criminal as John Wick did, however, the Auditors could take contracts directly from the High Table. The name fits nicely with "the Adjudicator," Asia Kate-Dillon's High Table representative in John Wick 3, and Auditors could be assassins under her command. Hutch claims he once worked for some very dangerous people. They don't come any more dangerous than the High Table.
The most obvious parallel between Hutch and John are their eerily similar lines of work. Even within the mercenary game, their career paths intertwine in too many areas to be coincidental. As an Auditor, Hutch would come to collect debts when the only possible payment was blood. The Auditors appear to be a well-organized, clandestine operation that only those in especially dangerous circles might've heard of. Nobody also exists within a world of uber-professional hitmen, where even the smallest details are accounted for, and termination contracts are treated like any other big-business transaction. Wick's job before settling down for a quiet retirement wasn't too different. The man known as Baba Yaga served a powerful Russian mobster, taking out targets with the utmost precision and care.
John Wick carries two distinct hallmarks: his uncanny ability of never staying down, and staying razor sharp despite years out of the game. He and Hutch are very much alike in this regard. Both men pick right back up where they left off, and each can take severe punishment but still move forward undeterred. With both men involved in wetwork, it's entirely possible that Hutch and John's respective circles could've crossed over into one blood-soaked Venn diagram - John carrying out hits for the mob, Hutch jobbing for the High Table.
Perhaps the biggest comparison in the careers of Hutch and Wick are their storied reputations. In his movie franchise, John Wick is an almost mythical figure of the criminal underworld, earning his Baba Yaga nickname. In the Nobody trailer, Hutch describes the Auditors as having a reputation that meant death was rapidly approaching. This idea of boogeymen assassins represents a common thread between Nobody and John Wick, and might allude to both taking place within the same universe. Interestingly, Wick and Hutch both return to the world of assassins for similarly mundane reasons - John over the death of his dog, and Hutch over his daughter's stolen kitty-cat bracelet.
A key feature of John Wick's character was an ever-ready preparedness for all situations, in particular the day his past demons came calling. John Wick 2 reveals just how unlikely Baba Yaga's hard-fought retirement was. One does not simply walk away from the mob, but by pulling in favors and performing minor miracles, John was able to do just that. Hutch also appears to be living off borrowed time after escaping the murder business. Nobody's trailer reveals the former Auditor quit without repaying a specific debt and faded into anonymity, hiding from his old employers. The mechanics of John Wick's world would help to explain why Hutch couldn't simply hand in his two-week notice and buy the office some doughnuts before leaving.
Throughout the John Wick story, the preparation of Reeves' character proves vital to his success. Stashed boxes of hidden Continental coins and weapons, contacts who owe a favor, a freshly-pressed tailored suit he hoped he'd never wear. John always knew retirement was temporary, and took measures to ensure he could fight back when the time came, leaving his assassin gear cemented under the basement floor. In Nobody, Hutch abides by a similar philosophy. The trailer shows Hutch fetching a box from the back of his closest, the contents of which are money, a cellphone and a gun. His family home also has a hidden electronic lock which, as security measures go, is fairly heavy-duty. Another shot reveals a small arsenal laid out on a table, proving Hutch has access to some professional-grade firearms, and there's also a hidden box of gold bars secreted inside a wall.
Given everything already known about the ruthless world of John Wick, the extreme measures Hutch has taken make perfect sense. The extent to which the two assassins prepare for the worst could be a common trait of all top mercs working under the High Table's jurisdiction.
Already, Nobody is referencing the John Wick franchise in an explicit way, and even the film's title derives from the debut Keanu Reeves effort. When Alfie Allen's Iosef Tarasov steals John's car and kills his dog, he is blissfully ignorant as to who he's antagonized, describing the target as "a f**king nobody." Iosef's mob boss father promptly scolds him, "that f**king nobody is John Wick." As one of the film's most iconic lines, it's little surprise that Bob Odenkirk's Hutch also describes himself as a "nobody" and gives the 2021 release its title. The world of John Wick is full of assassins who don't look like traditional hired killers, and Wick himself plays into that atypical mold. Part of Wick's success comes from constantly being underestimated. With Wick and Hutch both using their unassuming looks as an advantage, the outward appearance of an ordinary man could be a prerequisite for elite Continental assassins, dwelling in quiet obscurity until the need for ultraviolence arrives.
Meanwhile, Nobody's movie poster is a direct clone of John Wick 2's, but with Bob Odenkirk surrounded by fists instead of Keanu Reeves surrounded by guns. Nobody is also produced by David Leitch (John Wick director and producer) and was written by Derek Kolstad (John Wick writer and creator), which might explain the creative continuity between films. Either Nobody is taking cues directly from Wick's playbook, or there's a deeper, hidden connection between these two action franchises.