Does Lance Reddick’s role in John Wick have a hidden meaning? Details revealed

Lance Reddick's performance as Charon, the stoic and dependable concierge at The Continental, the hotel for assassins in the John Wick films, has become one of the most recognizable roles in the franchise. Charon remains level-headed amidst the chaos, so he's more than a side character- foundation-wise, his character has more significance in the John Wick world than we may immediately perceive.

Of late, fans are cutting together theories on the possible metaphorical meanings derived from Reddick's enigma as a hotel concierge. The layers to this wonderfully complicated character are a stark portrayal of Derek Kolstad's creative genius when it comes to Charon, and how he might mean something more than just being a hotel concierge.

What does Charon do in John Wick?

Special Screening of JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 3 - Source: Getty

At the centre of the John Wick series is a world that has been built up in detail and has its own rules. It has its own structure and hierarchy amongst assassins who adhere to a code of conduct, where everyday businesses are linked to organized crime. In this world, Charon is not just the concierge of The Continental; he is in fact the reference point for the complex web of this world. He operates in the space between the ridiculously luxurious and heinously violent, the embodiment of hospitality that caters to assassins yet adheres to the hotel's rules of engagement, namely that no fatal business could be conducted on the property.

His steadfast professionalism and unwavering loyalty to The Continental is a major thematic point in understanding the order that is desperately fought for, yet only exists in action movies across the disordered John Wick universe. The calmness he displays in the face of violence speaks to the larger themes of the fragility of civility in a world run by bloodshed. In some respects, Charon feels like an observer to the chaos that happens, as opposed to a participant: never a participant in the violence, but always visible. This reinforces the idea that he is a representation of the world that, while brutal, is organised, has rules, and traditions.

The secret meaning behind Lance Reddick's role as Charon

An interesting part of Charon's character to consider is his name and his connection to death. The name Charon itself is a reference to mythology, as Charon was the ferryman in Greek mythology who transported souls from life to death across the River Styx to the underworld.

It's worth noting that Charon in John Wick serves in a similar function as Charon in Greek mythology, where he serves as a ship's guide between life and death. In the film series, The Continental represents a duality where life and death exist in a neither-life nor death state, and it is a neutral ground for assassins and criminals. Charon, stationed at the concierge desk, is the guide for hotel guests and patrons, in much the same way that Charon in Greek mythology invokes the suppliants before embarking on their journey.

Reddick's portrayal of Charon gives the character a unique quality of calm authority, much like a philosophical reflection on death. In addition, Charon's interactions with John Wick and other characters in the series show us that Charon is not simply a security guard or bellhop at the hotel, but in fact, an essential figure in the context of the John Wick setting, bounded by the nature of his job, duty, loyalty, and the reality of death.

As the franchise continues to develop, the role of Charon could also take on more importance and expose additional meanings that enrich the tale of one of the most interesting action franchises in the past few years.

Charon will next be seen in From the World of John Wick: Ballerina.