After the stunning debut of the first trailer for Warner Bros The Matrix Resurrections, fans were left with a lot of questions as to what exactly was going on and what lead us to this point in the story. One major item that caught viewers’ eyes was the appearance of actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen sporting a rather familiar look for longtime fans. Was that who we think it was?
Thankfully the speculation was short-lived, as the Candyman (2021) star took to Instagram shortly after the trailer dropped to confirm everyone’s wildest assumptions — Yahya Abdul-Mateen is taking over the role of Morpheus from former franchise star Laurence Fishburne.
The actor posted a photo of himself in full costume, dual pistols in hand, and announced his acceptance of the role with a caption simply stating “MORPHEUS.” The character had previously been portrayed by Laurence Fishburne in the first three Matrix films and with the much younger Abdul-Mateen taking over the role, one can’t help but wonder where this new film’s story will be taking us. We know that this new film is a direct sequel to the original film trilogy, but what exactly happened in between the events of The Matrix: Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections that sees Neo and Trinity paired up with a much younger version of their old friend?
Yahya Abdul-Mateen is just one of many newcomers to The Matrix franchise for this much delayed fourth installment of the series. He will be accompanied by other fresh faces including Christina Ricci, Jessica Henwick, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and all of the new cast will ultimately be joined by returning franchise stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as Neo and Trinity.
The Matrix Resurrections is directed by Lana Wachowski based on a screenplay that she co-wrote with David Mitchell and Aleksander Hemon. The film is set to release simultaneously in theaters and on the HBO Max subscription streaming service on December 22, 2021.
Are you ready to revisit The Matrix? Or do you think the franchise had been gone long enough that we should leave well enough alone? Why do you think we’re seeing a younger Morpheus this time around? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and be sure to stick around Geek Anything for more updates on The Matrix!