The term "excommunicado" in the John Wick universe is a reference to real-world excommunication, highlighting the religious connotations within the assassin network. The meticulous worldbuilding in the John Wick series allows the audience to understand the complex makeup of the assassin world, making the consequences of "excommunicado" feel significant and threatening. The use of religious references throughout John Wick, such as the symbolism and allusions, suggests that the assassin network operates more like a religious culture rather than just a transactional system. Dishonoring the contract results in excommunication from this "religion."

On its face, the meaning of “excommunicado” is obvious in John Wick, but the term and its origins carry deeper implications. The gradual worldbuilding of John Wick is one of the series’ greatest triumphs. By starting out with a small-scale revenge story of John Wick visiting violence upon a local gang boss, the series is able to slowly introduce...