The Matrix 4 Bringing Back A Surprising Original Character
An original and important Matrix character is returning for The Matrix 4 after all.
The upcoming The Matrix 4, expected to release this December, is one of the most highly-anticipated movie sequels in the history of cinema, and for a good reason. As per the film’s trailer, the sequel sheds more light onto what happened to Keanu Reeves’ Neo and how he got “back online,” post-Matrix: Revolutions, while also explaining the surprise appearance of Carrie Anne Moss’ Trinity, who died once-and-for-all in the franchise’s third installment. But that’s not all – the upcoming film also has a few other surprise appearances up its sleeve, and one of those is the reprised appearance of an original character: Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith.
Hugo Weaving has previously stated that he isn’t in the new Matrix film due to a conflicting schedule. However, One Take News has now reportedly learned that Hugo Weaving will appear in flashback sequences to the previous Matrix films he starred in. These quick flashbacks will reportedly parallel whatever happens in The Matrix 4 and will use archived footage. For a more comprehensive explanation, if someone repeats the line Smith said in the original trilogy, the movie will cut to the archive footage of Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith saying that line. Pretty neat, and a friendly nod towards Weaving’s iconic performance.
For those who, by any chance, haven’t seen the original Matrix trilogy, Hugo Weaving portrayed Agent Smith – a logic-driven and calculated computer program that becomes more humanized as the story progresses. By the time of the trilogy’s finale, Smith is revealed as the main antagonist and anathema to Keanu Reeves’ Neo. Hugo Weaving spoke on numerous occasions about how much fun he had while playing Smith. He was initially scheduled to appear in Matrix 4 and even attended table reads and costume fittings but had to depart the project before filming commenced due to prior commitments and conflicting schedules.
But, just because Hugo Weaving isn’t shooting new scenes for the upcoming film doesn’t mean that his character won’t have new experiences. As per our exclusive report, Agent Smith will be returning for the next Matrix film – this time portrayed by Johnatan Groff, best known for his voice work in Disney’s Frozen. Considering that Neo and Smith simultaneously destroyed each other, Smith’s return shouldn’t be that surprising, given that Neo’s back. In the end, the upcoming film has many questions to answer, and both Neo and Smith’s return is just one among many.
With everything said, another well-established Matrix star is also rumored to make appearances in the upcoming Matrix 4, despite his role being filled by another actor. According to One Take News, Lawrence Fishburne will also reprise his role as Morpheus in flashback scenes, much like Hugo will repeat his as Smith. What is more interesting, and please keep in mind that we’re entering the domain of speculation here, is that the outlet reports there will be a statue of Morpheus, modeled after Fishburne’s likeness. Again, remember that Fishburne will only be shown in flashbacks, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be playing Morpheus in the movie. It will be interesting to see if Yahya Abdul-Mateen II’s Morpheus comes face to face with the statue of Lawrence Fishburne as the character. Just as there were multiple Chosen Ones across several iterations of the Matrix, so perhaps there were several other iterations of those who believed and those who sought only to control.
