It has been more than a decade’s time since the last Matrix movie came out. As a result, while the franchise’s earnings must be measured in the billions, its fame has faded to some extent. Still, there are bound to be a lot of people who remember The Matrix, not least because it has managed to have a lasting impact on pop culture as a whole.
For people who are unfamiliar, The Matrix was set in a future in which a cataclysmic war between humans and machines has brought about the ruin of the Earth. The machines came out as the ultimate victors, which is why humans live their entire lives in pods while their minds are connected to a simulated reality that is based on the turn of the 21st century. Despite the machines’ best efforts to maintain control over the situation, there are some humans that have managed to escape the Matrix, thus resulting in some people being called redpills and bluepills based on whether they know the true state of things or not.
Impact-wise, The Matrix was huge. As stated earlier, the franchise has managed to make multiple billions of dollars, thus making it one of the most successful sci-fi franchises ever in spite of the fact that it is dormant at the moment. Naturally, this means that its influence can still be seen in the strangest of places. For example, it isn’t uncommon for philosophy classes to use The Matrix as a convenient way to explore various topics connected to the true nature of reality, which is perhaps unsurprising considering that the franchise is very fond of its references to Plato’s allegory of the cave as well as other philosophical concepts. Likewise, there are a lot of people who have come to see the whole redpill and bluepill concept as a metaphor for the transgender experience, seeing as how the Wachowskis have come out as trans women.
Under these circumstances, it is no wonder that Warner Bros. Pictures has so much interest in reviving The Matrix, meaning that there is a very real chance that we will be seeing a fourth Matrix movie at some point in the not too distant future.
What Do We Know About the Future of The Matrix Franchise?
For starters, some people might be concerned about the prospect of either a reboot or a remake of The Matrix movies, particularly since there is a trend of such things happening in the present time. However, while it would be premature to say that neither one of those two things will be happening until we know more about what is happening with the franchise, the latest information suggests that the chances of either one are not particularly high.
Simply put, the Wachowskis have made it clear on multiple occasions that they aren’t interested in making another Matrix movie. Moreover, they have showed a particular lack of enthusiasm for reboots and remakes, meaning that the chances of them supporting such an effort are either nonexistent or so close to nonexistent that there is no meaningful difference. Certainly, Warner Bros. Pictures can ignore them because it is the owner of The Matrix franchise, but this is nonetheless important because the latest information indicates that it would like to have the Wachowskis’ blessing for a new Matrix project at the very least. Something that is understandable considering the perfectly understandable aversion to anything that could cause fandoms to get riled up.
Under these circumstances, it seems safe to say that a reboot or a remake isn’t happening, not least because it would be a bigger risk than it would be worth. Unfortunately, we don’t actually know much of anything about what is being planned, perhaps because that hasn’t been decided upon at this point in time. In 2017, there were reports that the new Matrix movie might be a prequel centered on Morpheus before the current Matrix movies, which explained the other reports that Warner Bros. Pictures was looking into the potential for Michael B. Jordan to star in said project. However, the lack of true confirmation means that other possibilities are still open at this point in time, particularly since Michael B. Jordan seems to be occupied with a slew of other projects for some time to come.
As for whether any members of the old cast will make a comeback, that is very much up in the air. For starters, some of the cast members have expressed a potential willingness to show up in such a movie under the right circumstances. One example was Keanu Reeves, who stated that he would be willing to make a return if the Wachowskis returned to head up the new Matrix movie. Another example was Hugo Weaving, who stated his willingness to make a return with looser conditions in the form of a good script as well as the Wachowskis’ blessing. However, there is no real way to tell whether Warner Bros. Pictures would even be interested in seeking the return of old cast members in a significant way or not, not least because we don’t really know what is being planned at this point in time.
Finally, there is one more piece of information that interested individuals might want to pay attention to. In short, Zak Penn has mentioned that he is interested in an expanded universe for The Matrix franchise, which is relevant because he is the one who has been stated to be in charge of revival efforts. What Penn means by an expanded universe isn’t wholly clear, but what might be more important is the fact that this statement was made in 2018, meaning that there is still momentum for the revival.
Further Considerations
Summed up, we have heard a fair amount of information about the potential future of The Matrix franchise, but we know very little that can be considered concrete. Still, what we know does make it seem as though there will be a fourth Matrix movie getting made at some point without much involvement from the Wachowskis, though chances are good that it won’t be the kind of movie that most people expect when they hear Matrix 4.
Follow Us
