Mel Gibson controversially takes centre stage in first trailer for John Wick prequel

Mel Gibson has controversially taken centre stage in the first trailer for a new John Wick series.

The actor-director is one of the lead stars in The Continental: From the World of John Wick, which will be his first regular US television role.

Gibson will play Cormac, who works in the hotel-for-assassins featured in the action franchise starring Keanu Reeves.The Continental will explore the origin of the hotel through the eyes of a young Winston Scott in the 1970s. Winston is played in the John Wick films by Ian McShane.

Also starring in the three-part series are Colin Woodell, Ayomide Adegun and Mishel Prada.

Shortly after news of Gibson’s casting was announced in 2021, John Wick fans shared their disapproval due to the many allegations against the star. The 67-year-old has been accused of making racist, antisemitic and homophobic comments in the past.

In 2006, Gibson was arrested for suspected drunk driving in Malibu and made antisemitic remarks to a policeman. He later apologised, stating that the comments were “blurted out in a moment of insanity”.

Four years later, the Passion of the Christ director featured on a leaked recording with then-wife Oksana Grigorieva in which he uttered a racial slur. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department launched a domestic violence investigation against Gibson, but it was later dropped when he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge.

The actor was blacklisted by Hollywood for a time, but in 2017, he was nominated for Best Director at the Oscars for Hacksaw Ridge, starring Andrew Garfield.

In July 2021, Gibson was also criticised after being spotted saluting Donald Trump in a video.

The Continental: From the World of John Wick will be released on Prime Video on 22 September. The third John Wick film was released to acclaim earlier this year.