Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Talks About His Role As Young Morpheus
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II recently spoke about his role in The Matrix 4,
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is currently doing interviews for Candyman, a horror film that’s been rocking along at the box office. During an interview with Variety, a very funny little moment happened when the interviewer slipped in two questions about the star’s role in The Matrix 4. While the studio hasn’t been secretive about the fact that he has a role in the Keanu Reeves movie, what part he plays hasn’t been confirmed by the studio yet. A few months ago, we were able to exclusively learn that he’ll be playing the role of a young version of Morpheus in the movie, but that’s not something the actor is allowed to talk about.
First, Variety asked him about the differences in his experience working on a project like Candyman versus a franchise like Matrix. He enthusiastically, but briefly, said that both experiences had the interesting element of trying to create a fresh perspective on a story. Then, following this moment where Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was casually discussing Matrix 4, they chose to hit him with a question about this role. They asked him: “So then does that mean you’re playing a new character, or a version of somebody that we already know in The Matrix?” Clearly, Variety knows what’s up and wanted to see if they could catch the actor in a moment of distraction. He answered saying:
In The Matrix? Yeah, I think you’re breaking up a little bit. All of a sudden, I can’t hear you so well.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II
They tried to catch him, but he was just too quick! Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was not falling for these shenanigans. He dodged that question like a pro. And pro, he is. The actor has been in Aquaman for DC, the Watchmen series, Candyman, Us, and The Get Down. He hasn’t been on screen for all that long, but he’s making waves in major franchises.
The Hollywood Reporter recently spoke with him about playing a villain for Aquaman. He’ll be returning as Black Manta for Aquaman 2. While it was pointed out that a lot of actors fear being associated with villainous roles, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II said it offered a lot of opportunity for him as an actor and he was excited to see his character grow in the sequel.
As a Young Morpheus, he’ll be doing something very different in The Matrix 4.
While we haven’t learned the details of what playing a Young Morpheus will entail, it sounds like it may reveal more of the character’s history. This is The Matrix, however, so hopefully, it’s something so bizarre and strange that no one from the outside will be able to guess all the details involved in this new sequel for Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Joining the actor in The Matrix 4 are returning stars Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith, with mystery newcomers to the franchise like Neil Patrick Harris, Christina Ricci, and Jonathan Groff. Those are known names of course, but their roles in the movie are being kept as quiet as possible. Unless, of course, Variety gets them to slip up in an interview.
