Laurence Fishburne Says He Wasn’t Asked to Return as Morpheus in “Matrix 4”

In good news, the movie resumed filming after coronavirus delays

Jada Pinkett Smith, Hugo Weaving, Carrie-Anne Moss, Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne during a visit from the cast of "The Matrix Reloaded" on MTV's Total Request Live
Laurence Fishburne, bottom right, with the cast of “The Matrix Reloaded” on MTV.
Scott Gries/Getty Images

All the news about the fourth Matrix installment has been promising up till now. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are reprising their roles as Neo and Trinity, respectively, and Lana Wachowski will be at the creative helm as the director and co-writer. But instead of being offered the red pill or the blue pill — that is, the choice to return or not — the other major star wasn’t even given the choice.

In a new interview with New York magazine, Laurence Fishburne said he has “not been invited” to appear in The Matrix 4 as Morpheus, the iconic mentor that rivals Reeves’s Neo in staying power. Syfy reported on the interview which first appeared in the New York print magazine. 

“No. I have not been invited,” Fishburne said when asked if he would appear in the new Matrix movie. “Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope it’s great.”

As Syfy surmised, this doesn’t mean Morpheus will not show up at all as a character. When the film was first announced, “there were reports at the time that [Fishburne’s] role might even be recast to accommodate a portrayal of a younger version of the character,” the site wrote.

“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,” Fishburne added. “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.”

Thankfully for fans of the franchise, there’s some good news to ease the bad; according to a new interview with Reeves from the Associated Press, the movie has resumed shoots in Berlin after coronavirus-related delays.

You can watch the full update here:

Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.

The InsideHook Newsletter.

News, advice and insights for the most interesting person in the room.