Here are the original Matrix trilogy characters who could be recast in The Matrix 4. Thanks to the nature of the simulated reality that is The Matrix, it’s relatively easy for individuals (especially non-humans) to change their appearance within it. It’s already happened once before in 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions, when the Oracle was forced to find a new “shell” after allowing her termination code to be traded away to the Merovingian. In reality, of course, Mary Alice took over the role in Revolutions when original Oracle actor Gloria Foster passed away after shooting her scene in The Matrix Reloaded.
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Seeing as The Matrix itself was rebooted at the end of Revolutions, it’s possible the new version featured in The Matrix 4 will include different iterations of multiple characters from the original trilogy, and not just familiar programs that’ve changed their “shells” either. The Matrix 4 director and franchise co-creator Lana Wachowski previously explored the idea of the same souls being reincarnated and changing their forms (read: race or gender) from one lifetime to another in her and her sister Lilly’s adaptation of Cloud Atlas, so it’s clearly a big interest to her as a storyteller and something she may well revisit here. Perhaps telling, Cloud Atlas author David Mitchell is even a co-writer on The Matrix 4.
At the moment, Keanu Reeves (as, presumably, Neo), Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Jada Pinkett Smith (Niobe), and Lambert Wilson (The Merovingian) are the only original Matrix trilogy stars either confirmed or reported to be returning for The Matrix 4. That leaves a lot of key characters from the previous films unaccounted for, and it’s entirely possible one or more of them will be recast in this new sequel.
Morpheus
It’s heavily rumored The Matrix 4 will include a young Morpheus, with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II taking over Laurence Fishburne’s iconic role. Interestingly, as has been pointed out before, the 2005 MMORPG The Matrix Online may’ve already set the stage for this. The canon game follows Morpheus as he revolts against the Machines after they refuse to return Neo’s body following his death in Revolutions, ultimately resulting in his own demise. This could explain why the character isn’t around whenever The Matrix 4 picks up. From there, it’s theorized the resurrected Neo and Trinity will seek out Morpheus’ help by bending the laws of The Matrix and, essentially, traveling back in time, bringing them face to face with an earlier iteration of their friend. It’s a wild idea but, then again, The Matrix 4 promises to be pretty bonkers, even by the franchise’s standards.
Oracle
The “Mother” of The Matrix has changed “shells” before and it’s well within the realm of possibility she will do it again in The Matrix 4, especially given the lack of reports about Alice reprising her role from Revolutions. However, this recasting could be tricky, were it to happen. The Oracle was initially criticized for being a variation on the “magical” Black stock character who functionally exists to selflessly help white people using their fantastical abilities after her appearance in the original Matrix movie, but later re-examined in a more positive light when Reloaded and Revolutions revealed her as being the covert leader of the revolution within The Matrix. For that reason, changing The Oracle’s race and/or gender in The Matrix 4 poses a risk of getting messy quickly. Still, there aren’t any obvious replacements for Alice in the film’s reported cast, so it may not even come to pass.
Agent Smith
Among the bigger questions hanging over The Matrix 4‘s head is whether the sequel will bring back the original trilogy’s big bad Agent Smith or not. Even though the program-turned virus was defeated by Neo in the climax of Revolutions, actor Hugo Weaving has confirmed he was offered a chance to reprise the character in this new film, but had to pass due to a scheduling conflict. Weaving also said he later “sorted the dates” but Lana Wachowski decided to move on without him, which raises the question of whether Smith has been recast or simply dropped from the story. Given the nature of The Matrix universe, there are very much organic ways of bringing Smith back and possibly even as a “younger” agent played by one of The Matrix 4‘s franchise newcomers (like Neil Patrick Harris). At the same time, there’s a strong argument to be made the movie would benefit from focusing on a different antagonist.
Architect
Much like Alice reportedly isn’t coming back as The Oracle, Helmut Bakaitis isn’t believed to be reprising his role as the “father” of The Matrix, aka. the Architect, in The Matrix 4. Still, as the program tasked with the construction of The Matrix, it wouldn’t be hard for them to take on a new “shell” in the upcoming sequel and possibly even assume the appearance of someone who appears to be on the younger side. This would also mean the Architect was correct when they claimed they would never meet Neo again after their encounter in Reloaded… not in the same form, anyway. If nothing else, it’s just amusing to imagine the character being played by someone like Jonathan Groff in The Matrix 4 (a far cry from Bakaitis’ iteration).
Sati
For those who need a reminder: Sati was the daughter of the programs Rama-Kandra and Kamala, and was fully introduced in Revolutions. The Oracle, believing Sati was vital to the future of The Matrix, gave her termination code to Rama-Kandra and Kamala to trade to the Merovingian in exchange for his help protecting Sati, and continued to watch over her in Revolutions. The final scene in the latter (showing the Oracle and Sati surveying a sunrise Sati had created to honor Neo’s sacrifice) indicated Sati would have an important role to play in any subsequent Matrix movies, so it only stands to reason she will show up in The Matrix 4. And while programs technically don’t age, the popular theory is Priyanka Chopra is playing an “older” Sati in the sequel, taking over from Tanveer K. Atwal (who portrayed her as a child in Revolutions and The Matrix Online, but hasn’t really acted since then).
Other Characters
Programs like the Oracle’s guardian Seraph (Collin Chou) and the Merovingian’s wife Persephone (Monica Bellucci) had key, if small, roles to play in Reloaded and Revolutions, so either one is fair game to show up in a brand-new form in The Matrix 4. Of the pair, Seraph’s return is arguably more intriguing, in light of the long-standing theory he was originally one of the “Ones” who came before Neo and was later re-birthed in The Matrix after his death in the real-world (something that could even explain his unusual golden coding). Reportedly, Jessica Henwick is playing a “female-like Neo character” in The Matrix, so it begs the question: is she playing the next “One”, a gender-swapped version of Seraph, or someone else altogether?
Speaking of old familiar faces, the fan theories about a young Morpheus have also led to speculation that The Matrix 4 will feature younger iterations of other key characters from the first Matrix movie, including the traitorous Cypher. Joe Pantoliano, who played the character in the original film, even pitched the idea of his return in The Matrix 4 to Lana Wachowski, but didn’t hear back from her. Could it be because the sequel will bring Neo and Trinity face to face with both a younger Morpheus and Cypher? The setup has the makings of a classic time-travel conundrum (i.e. Neo and Trinity know Cypher will betray Morpheus one day, but can’t do anything about it without altering the timeline), but for now it’s anyone’s guess whether it’ll actually happen.
- The Matrix 4 (2022)Release date: Apr 01, 2022