In my opinion, Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus from the Matrix trilogy is one of the best movie mentors of all time. He was wise, knew how to lead, had extraordinary fighting skills, and was just plain cool. It goes without saying that the character doesn’t really work without the charisma of Laurence Fishburne. Maybe that explains why he was the only original cast member who’s character actually made it to the very end. Sure, the whole ending to the Matrix trilogy was very anti-climactic, but what happened to Morpheus afterwards? We’ll get to that later, but since we’re on this subject, let’s talk about the next Matrix movie. As a big fan of the first movie, I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that I was immensely disappointed with how the trilogy ended. And about eighteen years later, we’re finally getting a fourth movie called Resurrections.
Will this next movie rejuvenate the legacy of The Matrix trilogy? I certainly hope so, considering how much the first movie has done for cinema. The second and third movie, not so much, but I very much hope Resurrections adds some much-needed excitement for the fans. If you’ve seen the new trailer for it, you might have been turned on or turned off, but for me, I was all in. Before I was just excited for The Matrix: Resurrections, but after watching the trailer, I’m officially very excited for it. It probably has a lot to do with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss returning to reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity. Kind of strange, considering they both died in Revolutions, but they are part of the big three that started the trilogy.
Speaking of which, it looks like one of the big three is left out. Well, technically he is in it, but not the way we Matrix fans want him to be. That would be the mentor to Neo and Trinity, the mysterious Morpheus. Now again, the character himself is actually in the movie and this time, he’ll be played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Okay, this guy is a very good actor and he’s been killing it lately with some popular roles (Candyman, Black Manta, Doctor Manhattan), but there’s just one problem I have with him playing Morpheus.
Yeah, it’s the same problem I think every other Matrix fan has and it’s just the unfortunate fact that Laurence Fishburne isn’t returning to reprise his role. That is very disappointing, and let’s not even talk about Hugo Weaving not returning to reprise the role as Agent Smith. Seriously, that breaks my heart. I can kind of understand Agent Smith not returning, but we certainly need Morpheus if Neo and Trinity are coming back. Apparently Laurence Fishburne was never asked to reprise his role.
Does that sound crazy? I definitely think so. Now just watch the trailer and you’ll notice that the Morpheus we’re seeing appears to be a much younger Morpheus than the one we saw years ago. Perhaps that’s exactly why Lana Wachowski casted Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, to have a young Morpheus interact with an older Neo. That sounds rather strange, especially since the trailer still shows Morpheus attempting to free Neo. This makes me wonder if this younger Morpheus will still take on the mentor role in Resurrections. If he does, that would still be the suitable role for him. If not, then what would his purpose be?
In a blink-and-you-miss-it moment in the trailer, you’ll notice the young Morpheus in a civilian form attempting to make his way through a mirror. This is the same portal-like mirror Neo used for transportation in the Matrix, which we can clearly see in the trailer. Could we be possibly looking at the origins of Morpheus and where he came from? That would be an interesting take for the character, given how mysterious his past is. I am actually very curious to see how he first came into contact with the real world and how he learned about the Matrix. We can even witness his first meeting with the Oracle and why he was so attached on the prophecy for the one.
There have been talks about a spin-off series for Morpheus for a while now, with Michael B. Jordan even in talks for it. You know, because Michael B. Jordan is apparently going to be in everything now. Well, that probably won’t happen and that’s okay, since we’re getting the young Morpheus in Resurrections. But that still doesn’t fix the issue of Laurence Fishburne not returning to reprise the role. As unfortunate as it is, there actually is a more reasonable explanation than you might think.
Ever hear of the old Matrix Online video game that was developed back in 2005? I never played it, but it apparently served as a continuation of the story from the movies. That sounds kind of lame, but The Wachowskis themselves gave their blessings so why not? Well, that game did something that the fans might not appreciate. As someone who has only watched the movies, I just discovered this kind of recently.
The Matrix Online video game, wait for it, actually killed off Morpheus. Yes, you read that right and boy, was that sad to hear. And to think that I was under the impression that Morpheus was still alive all these years. If the Wachowski Brothers say that the game is canon, then I guess we got to accept that it’s canon. Personally, it’s kind of hard for me to accept that Morpheus was killed off in a video game that I’ve never played.
So will this young Morpheus work? I really hope so, but I’m still attached to Laurence Fishburne playing the character. In my opinion, that is his signature role. I would prefer for him to return, but I will take Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as this interesting new take on the character. So is Morpheus really in The Matrix: Resurrections? Yes, but also no. I know, it’s weird, but then again, we’re in the realm of The Matrix here. When has it never been weird? Rhetorical question.
What are your thoughts, Matrix fans?
Follow Us
