The Untold Story: Revealing the Predecessor of Winston - The Manager of The Continental in John Wick

Summary

In The Continental: From the World of John Wick, viewers learn that Winston wasn't always the knowledgeable and experienced manager he appears to be in the John Wick movies.

Mel Gibson's character, Cormac, previously served as the manager of The Continental before Winston, showcasing a more assertive and rebellious style.

The revelation that Cormac lacks a family and solely relies on Charon as a trusted companion brings a sorrowful aspect to Winston's destiny, suggesting that assuming the role of hotel manager entails sacrificing one's nearest and dearest.

The Continental: From the World of John Wick is a prequel series that delves into the backstory of Winston, the eventual manager of The Continental Hotel in New York. This raises the question of who held the position before him. The Peacock three-episode event marks the beginning of a series of John Wick spinoffs. In 2024, the Ana de Armas movie Ballerina will be released, further expanding the assassin universe of the films. The main focus of The Continental is Winston's relationship with his brother, Frankie. When Frankie steals a coin press from the hotel's vault, it sets off a brutal manhunt.

Although Winston is known as the proud manager of The Continental in the John Wick movies, his knowledge about the hotel seems limited when he is first introduced in the series. In the first episode of The Continental, "Night 1: Brothers in Arms," Winston is portrayed as a con artist residing in London, who scams wealthy businessmen. However, after his estranged brother pulls off a heist at The Continental, Winston is abducted and brought to New York to meet with the manager. Set 40 years before the events of John Wick, the hotel has a distinctly different atmosphere in the 1970s, largely due to its rather careless manager and their handling of the hotel's rules.

Cormac Was The Continental's Manager For 40 Years Before Winston

Mel Gibson stars alongside The Continental's cast as Cormac, the manager of the hotel during the 1970s, predating Winston's tenure. Unlike his successor, Cormac possesses a distinctively different managerial style, lacking the same level of sophistication and displaying a more aggressive demeanor. He appears to disregard the cardinal rule of The Continental, which strictly forbids any "business" from being conducted on the hotel premises, and even mocks the rule when reminded of it. In a moment of defiance, when one individual refuses Cormac's command to eliminate someone in his office, he manipulates the individual into contemplating self-harm.

It is revealed that Cormac has held the position of hotel manager for a staggering 30 years, indicating his role began in the 1930s. Although Cormac's age remains unclear, considering Mel Gibson is currently 67 years old, it is plausible that Cormac assumed management responsibilities at approximately 27 years of age. Throughout his tenure, Cormac played a crucial role in the upbringing of both Winston and Frankie. Although Winston relocated to London, Frankie continued to work under Cormac's supervision. The Continental manager harbored a fondness for Frankie, displaying leniency towards him that he rarely extended to other employees. Unfortunately, this changed when Frankie stole the coin press.

John Wick Movies Make Winston Replacing Cormac In The Continental More Tragic

Cormac, the hotel manager for the past 40 years, reveals that he has no family and only Charon as a close companion. This revelation adds a tragic element to Winston's fate. Despite Winston appearing proud to run the hotel in the John Wick movies, this disclosure suggests that every hotel manager is destined to lose their loved ones. Winston is already experiencing this loss, as seen when Frankie sacrifices himself in The Continental episode 1.

Frankie is just the first of many friends and family members Winston will lose. The connection between Winston and Cormac is still to be unveiled, but Frankie's death and their history prompt Winston to seek revenge against Cormac. Despite their differences, Winston ultimately becomes a version of Cormac, albeit one who is more vulnerable and adheres to the rules. In The Continental: From the World of John Wick, Winston is 30 years old, and by the time he is introduced in John Wick (2014), he has been managing the hotel for approximately 40 years. Similar to Cormac, Winston's only companion is Charon.