The Matrix 4’s New Release Date and Everything Else We Know

17 years ago, we were left with an incredible conclusion to The Matrix Revolutions (spoilers ahead, so read on at your own risk). We assumed, though, that the ending to this powerful trilogy was really the end. After three movies of man vs. machine, there was finally peace. Humans would be able to leave the Matrix, hooray! Unfortunately, this came at the cost of our two main characters – Trinity died in a hovercraft crash, and Neo sacrificed himself in an effort to destroy Agent Smith. A bittersweet conclusion, but one that left us with a sense of closure – that is, until the announcement of The Matrix 4.
The original release date for the next film in The Matrix series was supposed to be May 21, 2021, but due to delays in filming caused by COVID, the planned release date has been moved to April 1, 2022. Despite the nearly two years until its premiere, there is a lot of buzz surrounding this long-awaited and unexpected continuation of The Matrix series. You may be thinking, āI donāt even want to see this movie if none of my favorite characters are in it.ā Hereās the good news – if you die in The Matrix (movie), there are about a million different ways the talented writers can bring you back.
Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Lambert Wilson will all be returning for the next installment of The Matrix, but thereās no word yet about the plot itself. Jonathan Groff, Priyanka Chopra, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Neil Patrick Harris will also be joining the cast, hopefully with Neil Patrick Harrisās Dr. Horrible as the movieās supervillain. I mean, weirder things have happened this year than a Matrix musical.
Sadly, the iconic Morpheus played by Laurence Fishburne wonāt be reprising his role. āI have not been invited. Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope itās great,ā Fishburne told The Wrap. āIt is probably the role that Iāll be best remembered for, which is great; itās not the only thing Iāll be remembered for, which is better. What I get with him is Iāve got Darth Vader in this hand, and Iāve got Obi-Wan in that hand. Iāve got Bruce Lee, Iāve got Muhammad Ali shuffled in there, and Iāve got kung fu.ā
You will be missed but not forgotten, Morpheus. That is, unless Morpheus isnāt actually gone. A stunt like this is exactly the type of twist weāve come to expect from The Matrix series, but we will, unfortunately, have to wait until 2022 to find out for sure. There is speculation that Fishburne wonāt be returning because his character died in āThe Matrix Online,ā a MORPG that is somewhat of a continuation to the movieās storyline, but even if that was the case, the people over at The Matrix studios clearly donāt have a problem with bringing characters back from the dead.
Recently, film industry sweetheart Keanu Reeves talked to Associated Press about filming in the midst of a pandemic. Though the situation isnāt ideal, Reeves takes a lot of pride in his team and their commitment to both the production and the safety of everyone involved. He explained, āEveryone loves the project and if youāre ever going to get in a situation that needs to be figured out, show business people are the best. Weāre scrappy, we know how to get stuff done, weāre inventive, we think on our feet. Itās a great honor and Iām grateful to be working.ā
Weāre also grateful that youāre working – now more than ever, itās important to have something to look forward to.