Laurence Fishburne Says He Wasn’t Invited Back to Reprise Morpheus in Matrix 4
While we eagerly await the return of Neo and Trinity in The Matrix 4, one name that has been noticeably absent from any news about the forthcoming sequel is Laurence Fishburne, who played Morpheus in the original Matrix and its two sequels. In a recent interview with SyFy Wire, the actor reveals that he wasn’t even invited back to play what he describes as his most memorable role.
“No. I have not been invited,” Fishburne said. “Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope it’s great.”
Morpheus underwent perhaps the most extreme character evolution in the Matrix trilogy, starting out as an avid believer in the One who lost his faith after the events of Reloaded. In Revolutions, he eventually comes back around after Neo’s battle with Agent Smith and remains the only surviving member of the original trinity. It would have been cool to see Fishburne reprise the character. Though, it sounds like plans are to introduce a younger Morpheus this go round if you want to believe the online rumors.
Even so, don’t feel too bad for Fishburne. The man has appeared in a number of high-profile movies and TV shows over the last several years, including the John Wick series (alongside fellow Matrix alumn Keanu Reeves), Man of Steel, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, Ant-Man, Black-ish and Hannibal. Though, he admits that many will likely only remember him for Morpheus.
“It is probably the role that I’ll be best remembered for, which is great; it’s not the only thing I’ll be remembered for, which is better. What I get with him is I’ve got Darth Vader in this hand, and I’ve got Obi-Wan in that hand. I’ve got Bruce Lee, I’ve got Muhammad Ali shuffled in there, and I’ve got kung fu,” the actor said.
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Lana Wachowski co-wrote the script for The Matrix 4 with Aleksander Hemon and David Mitchell, and will direct the film as well. Academy-Award winning cinematographer John Toll (Legends of the Fall, Braveheart) will shoot the highly-anticipated sequel, succeeding Bill Pope who was the cinematographer for The Matrix trilogy.
Plot details on the fourth live-action film in The Matrix franchise haven’t been revealed, and given the ending of 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions it’s not a clear cut answer.
Earlier this year we asked our readers if they were interested in more movies in the series, with 69% of those voting saying “Yes!” In a secondary poll, 58% said they wanted to see a continuation of the series. Looks like they’ll be getting what they wanted!
Click here to purchase the original Matrix Trilogy on 4K!
The three previous films—The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and The Matrix Revolutions (2003)—have earned more than $1.6 billion at the global box office and were all top-10 domestic hits in their respective years of release. The Matrix Revolutions was also the first film ever to release simultaneously in every major country at the same hour around the world.
The Matrix 4 is scheduled for an April 1, 2022 release.
