Ana de Armas Convincingly Makes the Case as Hollywood’s New Action Queen in ‘John Wick’ Spin-Off, News In Progress

From the moment Ana de Armas first graced our screens as Paloma in No Time to Die, casually dispatching bad guys in a cocktail dress while delivering the franchise’s most memorable one-liners, it was clear we were witnessing the birth of a new action superstar. Now, with Ballerina, the John Wick universe’s first major spin-off, de Armas doesn’t just confirm her status as a legitimate action icon – she establishes herself as the natural successor to Angelina Jolie’s throne as Hollywood’s most formidable female action lead.

The Making of an Action Icon

The comparisons to Jolie are inevitable and entirely warranted. Like Jolie in her Tomb Raider and Mr. & Mrs. Smith heyday, de Armas possesses that rare killer combination of drop-dead gorgeous magnetism and genuine physical intimidation. Both actresses share the uncanny ability to make audiences believe they could dismantle any opponent – male or female – without breaking a sweat. Where Jolie had her twin pistols and ice-cold glare, de Armas brings a dancer’s lethal grace and a simmering intensity that’s equally captivating.

De Armas’ action credentials were already impressive before Ballerina. Her brief but unforgettable turn in No Time to Die showed she could hold her own against Bond himself. In The Gray Man, she more than matched Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in the action stakes. Now, with Ballerina, she graduates to full-fledged action lead with spectacular results.

More Than Just ‘Wick Lite’

The film wisely doesn’t position itself as John Wick with a female lead, instead carving out its own identity while remaining firmly planted in the Wick universe. De Armas plays Eve, a ballerina-assassin (because of course) seeking vengeance for the murder of her family. The premise might sound familiar, but the execution is anything but derivative.

Keanu Reeves’ appearance as John Wick is far more than the glorified cameo some might expect. Wick serves as mentor and occasional ally to Eve, and the chemistry between Reeves and de Armas is electric. Their scenes together crackle with a mix of mutual respect and wary camaraderie. When they finally team up for the climactic action sequence, it’s everything fans could hope for.

Action That Dances on the Edge of Brilliance

The action sequences in Ballerina stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the best the John Wick series has offered. Director Len Wiseman (no stranger to action with his Underworld pedigree) brings a fresh visual flair while maintaining the franchise’s signature brutal realism. 

De Armas’ background as a dancer informs every fight scene, lending her movements an almost balletic precision that makes the violence feel like a deadly performance. The much-hyped flamethrower sequence – which we won’t spoil here – deserves particular praise as one of the most inventively staged action set pieces in recent memory. It’s the kind of sequence that will have audiences cheering out loud and immediately texting friends that they need to see it. It alone is worth the price of admission. 

The Verdict: A New Era for Female-Led Action

Ballerina succeeds not just as a worthy John Wick spin-off, but as a statement piece announcing de Armas as the new standard-bearer for female action leads. In an era where too many action films still treat their female characters as afterthoughts or token inclusions, Ballerina gives us a fully-realized, complex female protagonist who owns every frame she’s in. Any woman in Hollywood with designs on an action career will now be taking cues from de Armas on how to deliver.

The film isn’t without its minor flaws – some plot elements feel overly familiar, and not every supporting character gets the development they deserve. But these are quibbles in what is otherwise a near-perfect action film.

For action fans, Ballerina is nothing short of a revelation. For Ana de Armas, it’s a star-making turn that cements her place among the action greats. And for the John Wick universe, it proves there’s plenty of life beyond Wick himself.