John Wick 2: Common cast as sequel's villain opposite Keanu Reeves

Rapper-turned-actor Common is set to have it out with Keanu Reeves in Lionsgate's upcoming sequel John Wick 2, now he has been cast as the movie's villain. The original movie saw Reeves star as former hitman Wick, who is forced to come out of retirement and use his old skills to track down the gangsters that killed his dog. (Trust us, there is much more to it than that along the way.) But the plot details for the action thriller follow-up remain under wraps.

Previously a stuntman who has worked on many titles including Iron Man 2, The Expendables and The Hunger Games, Chad Stahelski tried his hand at directing when he co-helmed the first film with David Leitch. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he is set to come back to the franchise as sole director for the sequel, alongside similarly returning screenwriter Derek Kolstad. Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk is also returning to produce.

While the first instalment boasted an extensive and impressive cast, with names such as Game Of Thrones star Alfie Allen, John Leguizamo, Michael Nyqvist (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) and Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane is currently the only cast member confirmed for the follow-up, reprising his role as Winston.

Common's most recent acting credits include Now You See Me, Selma, Run All Night and a cameo appearance as himself in the Entourage movie. He will next be seen in TV film The Wiz Live! opposite Queen Latifah, Ne-Yo, Mary J Blige, Elijah Kelly (Hairspray), Amber Riley (Glee) and Orange Is The New Black's Uzo Aduba.

In 2016, he will star in big-screen comic book movie Suicide Squad alongside Margot Robbie, Viola Davis, Cara Delevingne, Will Smith and Jared Leto. The film centres on imprisoned supervillains, rather than the typical heroes seen in such movies, who are forced to carry out Black Ops tasks for a corrupt government agency in exchange for less severe jail sentences.

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