The Matrix Resurrections was always going to struggle to bring back all of the cast members they wanted, due to the huge time gap since the original trilogy came to a conclusion in 2003. While Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Jada Pinkett Smith have all reprised their roles, others such as Laurence Fishburne and Hugo Weaving were recast with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Jonathan Groff, respectively. While Fishburne’s Morpheus recasting was always the plan, it seems that there was a point when Hugo Weaving was almost brought back as Agent Smith.
In an interview with io9, co-writer Aleksander Hemon explained how the idea of someone else taking over the role of Agent Smith was not always on the cards. He said:
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While Weaving does appear in The Matrix Resurrections in flashbacks and other visual callbacks throughout the movie, many fans were disappointed that some kind of arrangement for him to fully reprise the role wasn’t made. However, The Matrix isn’t the first movie franchise that Weaving has declined a return in after he failed to reprise his role as Red Skull in Avengers: Endgame, the character he played in Captain America.
The Matrix Resurrections has very much continued where the previous movies left off almost two decades ago, with very mixed reviews from both critics and audiences leaving the possibility of any further installments on shaky ground. While there are no doubt many Matrix fans out there who would happily be given the option of the red or blue pill again, Keanu Reeves himself has suggested that he wouldn’t expect to return again, and in the end without Reeves involvement it is unlikely that anyone would have any interest in returning to the Matrix again. For now, it is best to make the most of The Matrix Resurrections which is now in cinemas and streaming on HBO Max.
