When John Wick gets to work, he becomes an efficient killing machine, wiping out every single enemy without hesitation. If he has a target, he'll head over to their house and take down each potential threat before they even have a chance to react. And because of this method, very few get to see his wrath and live to tell the tale. However, there's one guard who he lets go before an attack: the nightclub bouncer from the first John Wick movie.
As John hunts Iosef Tarasov, the man who attacked his house and killed his dog, he discovers the Russian being kept under guard at the Red Circle nightclub. John heads straight there, but before gunning down every single guard in sight, he approaches the bouncer with a friendly "Hello, Francis." Then after sharing some pleasantries, the man understands what John is there to do and takes his leave. And while it appears as though Wick is simply letting an old friend go, the actor revealed a secret message in their conversation.
Kevin Nash, most known for his wrestling career, appeared at Big Texas ComicCon in 2019 for an interview and was asked about his small role as the bouncer. He recalls the scene, remembering John saying, "You've lost weight," to which Francis replies, "Over 60 kilograms." And while most assume it's just a casual conversation, Nash explains, "you couldn't lose that much weight. That was actually me telling him how many people were in there."
In John Wick, France provides the number 60 and asks, "Are you hear on business, sir?" John replies, "Afraid so, Francis. Why don't you take the night off." Nash explains that this wasn't just because they're old friends but because "I gave him the hint of how many people were in there, and that's why he let me live."
This subtle detail is yet another part of John Wick's incredible world-building, as it makes perfect sense that he would speak in code rather than outright asking. It also adds some humanization to John, as up until this point, he'd been killing countless unknown faces without remorse. But the brief interaction with Francis shows he's more than just an emotionless killer and actually recognizes when someone is just working a job separate from the villain. Although, this kindness is extremely rare and makes Francis one of the few people John ever lets go.
Part of what makes John Wick so special is the lack of an origin story. Most characters are well into their careers and know each other, and the established world of crime has clearly been around for decades. It makes scenes and characters like Francis feel packed full of history without barely saying a word and creates another great moment despite being so minor.