Laurence Fishburne was not invited back for The Matrix 4

The Matrix 4 promises to be one of the biggest events in post-COVID cinema. However, one of the key original actors will not be returning for the next movie. Laurence Fishburne has revealed that no-one involved with the next instalment in the Matrix series invited him to reprise his role as Morpheus. 

“I have not been invited,” he told New York Magazine, via The Wrap. “Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope it’s great.”

He went on to add: “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. 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.”

One reason for Fishburne not returning for The Matrix 4 may be because the character dies of gunshots during the events of The Matrix Online, the online multiplayer game that the Washowkis blessed as a continuation of the story told in the original trilogy. However, fans also believe the death was faked, and Lana Wachowski – who will direct the new movie on her own – will likely not expect general audiences to know the plot points of a game that stopped operating in 2009.

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The Matrix 4 will seemingly continue the story of Neo and Trinity – once again played by Keanu Reeves and Carrie Ann-Moss – though all plot details have been kept heavily under wraps. There has been some speculation that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who has been cast in a mysterious role, could potentially play a reincarnation of Morpheus, though this remains speculation. Michael B. Jordan was once thought to be playing a new version of Morpheus, though did not end up signing on to a new Matrix movie. 

Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, and Priyanka Chopra are among other actors who will appear in The Matrix 4, which has resumed filming in Berlin after closing down due to the coronavirus pandemic. “Everyone loves the project and if you’re ever going to get in a situation that needs to be figured out... show business people are the best,” Reeves recently told AP. “We’re scrappy, we know how to get stuff done, we’re inventive, we think on our feet. It’s a great honour and I’m grateful to be working.”

The Matrix 4 recently moved release date and will now reach cinemas April 1, 2022.