Ana De Armas Leads 'John Wick' Spinoff 'Ballerina'

Ana de Armas plays Eve Macarro, an assassin operating undercover as a ballerina in the John Wick spinoff Ballerina. Eve's training under the Ruska Roma organization fuses dancer's grace with lethal precision, turning perceived weaknesses into deadly advantages. She's driven by vengeance after a cult murders her father, and the film runs concurrently with John Wick: Chapter 3. There's a lot more to Eve's story than revenge alone.

Key Takeaways

• Ana de Armas plays Eve Macarro, an assassin operating undercover as a ballerina within the Ruska Roma criminal society.
• The film runs concurrently with John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum, confirmed by John Wick's visible facial cuts during a scene.
• Eve's fighting style blends balletic grace with lethal precision, built around the philosophy of "fighting like a girl."
• Early reviews praise de Armas's performance and inventive action choreography, though critics note subpar writing and tired plot points.
• *Ballerina* carries an $80 million budget, placing it among the more expensive entries in the John Wick franchise.

Who Is Eve Macarro, the Assassin Ana De Armas Plays in Ballerina?

Ana de Armas plays Eve Macarro, a skilled assassin and bodyguard who operates under the cover of a ballerina within the Ruska Roma assassin society. Her assassin identity was forged through tragedy — she witnessed her father Javier's murder after he fled a dangerous cult to protect her, while her mother had already been killed as retribution.

Winston Scott rescued her and brought her to Ruska Roma, where she spent 12 years mastering her ballet duality of dance and deadly combat. She earned the title "Kikimora" and specializes in extractions and protecting wards. Her tattoo reads "lux in tenebris," meaning light in darkness — a fitting symbol for someone balancing two worlds.

Her ultimate drive is vengeance against the cult that destroyed her family. The Ruska Roma itself is one of 12 organizations that hold a seat at the High Table, the powerful governing body overseeing global criminal enterprises.

How Ruska Roma Training Shaped Eve's Fighting Style

Eve's path from traumatized survivor to elite Ruska Roma assassin didn't happen by chance — it was forged through a grueling training philosophy built around one core idea: fight smarter, not stronger.

Because Eve operates against physically superior opponents, her training emphasizes adaptive tactics — breaking conventional rules, exploiting weaknesses, and landing low blows when necessary. You'll notice she doesn't fight clean; she fights to win.

What makes her genuinely dangerous is how ballerina grace merges with lethal precision. Her movement vocabulary blends dance-trained agility with brutal combat mechanics, creating a style that's both fluid and devastating.

This fusion isn't accidental — it's the signature of Ruska Roma methodology, which rewards fighters who leverage their unique strengths rather than mimicking traditional combat approaches. Instructor Nogi's core teaching was simple but radical: fight like a girl, turning Eve's perceived disadvantages into deliberate, unconventional weapons against stronger enemies.

The Ballerina Story: What Eve Is Actually Fighting For

Revenge drives Eve, but the story beneath it runs much deeper than a simple kill mission. You watch her chase the Chancellor not just for her father's murder, but to reclaim something stolen from her entire family legacy. Her parents were assassins shaped by the Cult's reach, her sister Lena was swallowed by it, and Eve herself barely escaped its indoctrination. Every fight she wages carries that weight.

What makes Eve compelling is her pursuit of moral redemption. She's not breaking free from violence — she's choosing who she kills and why. She spares Ella, the Chancellor's granddaughter, rather than letting hatred bleed into innocence. That decision separates her from the Cult entirely. Eve isn't just surviving. She's deciding what kind of person she refuses to become.

Before any of this, Eve's path was shaped by twelve years of training as both a ballerina and a Kikimora assassin under the Director's supervision, a foundation that transforms her grief into something dangerously precise.

Where Ballerina Fits in the John Wick Timeline

Ballerina slots into one of the most intricate corners of the John Wick timeline, running concurrently with the events of Chapter 3: Parabellum before pushing into the gap leading up to Chapter 4.

You'll actually see Eve watching John Wick visit The Director, with his Chapter 3 facial cuts visible, confirming the timeline placement is exact. These concurrent events give you fresh angles on moments you've already seen, filling in what was happening just off-screen.

The story then jumps two months forward, landing Eve's finale firmly after Parabellum ends but before Chapter 4 begins. Set in 2014, the film fits within the franchise's tight six-month total span. It's a narrow window, but Ballerina uses every bit of it efficiently.

Ballerina also reaches further back than any other film in the franchise, with childhood flashbacks showing Eve's earliest training under The Director and her first encounter with Winston taking place years before the events of the original John Wick.

How John Wick Fits Into the Ballerina Story

John Wick doesn't just cameo in Ballerina — he shapes the entire arc of Eve's mission. John Wick's mentorship begins subtly at the Tarkovsky Theater, where a retired Wick gives Eve early direction. Later, despite carrying a $20M bounty, he's contracted against her — yet he honors a midnight truce, sparing her life.

Here's how Wick actively drives the story:

1. The Theater Meeting — A quiet exchange plants the seed of an unlikely alliance
2. The Midnight Truce — Wick chooses empathy over contract, letting Eve's mission breathe
3. Sniper Support — He eliminates a flamethrower assassin and cultists, turning the tide

You're watching two lethal worlds briefly share the same mission. The events of Ballerina unfold concurrently with Parabellum, grounding Eve's story within one of the most chaotic periods in John Wick's life.

Is Ballerina Worth Watching? What Early Reviews Say

Ana de Armas earns consistent praise for her fierce, committed performance, matching the franchise's intensity while carving out her own identity. Critics highlight the action choreography as visually inventive and jaw-dropping, with the $80 million budget clearly visible on screen. The film stands firmly as a worthy spin-off, distinguishing itself from similar revenge thrillers.

However, reviewers note subpar writing, tired plot points, and a story that occasionally feels inconsequential within the larger John Wick universe. It doesn't quite reach the mainline films' heights, but it comes close enough to satisfy. The story follows Eve Macarro as she begins her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma.