When news hit the Twittersphere last year that Matrix franchise co-creator Lana Wachowski would be returning to write and direct a fourth installment of the series, fans couldn’t help but rejoice. And with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss set to reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity, it seems like all of our Matrix dreams were coming true.
But aht aht, not so fast. One third of the trio from the original trilogy is apparently not coming back to join them. And it’s perhaps one of the most essential characters of them all: Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus.
“I have not been invited,” he told The Wrap. “Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope it’s great.”
Although he sadly won’t be in this next installment, Fishburne added that his role as Morpheus was a career-defining role.
“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,” he said wisely. “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 plot and details of the still-untitled sequel have been kept under wraps, but it’s expected to continue the story from the original trilogy.
Fans of the original trilogy should also get excited because Jada Pinkett-Smith will also be reprising her role and the film has added big names such as Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Priyanka Chopra, Neil Patrick Harris and others.
The fourth Matrix film is scheduled to arrive in April 2022.