Nostalgia has proven a popular force in the film industry, with plenty of iconic franchises returning to theaters with reboots or long-awaited sequels. One of the most highly anticipated projects of this ilk is Lana Wachowski's The Matrix 4. Moviegoers are hyped to jack back into the iconic sci-fi franchise, especially with actors like Keanu Reeves returning to reprise their roles. And it turns out that another actor from the original Matrix trilogy will be making an appearance in the blockbuster.
Lana Wachowski has assembled a strong cast to make The Matrix 4 a reality, featuring a mixture of new and returning faces. While we already knew that a handful of OG actors are returning, there's been another surprising addition. Namely actor/stunt performer Daniel Bernhardt will return as The Matrix Reloaded's Agent Johnson.
This news comes to us from Deadline, and is sure to excite the hardcore Matrix fans out there who are eager to see what Lana Wachowski has in store for the upcoming sequel. The movie was given a ton of advanced credit for its inclusion of original cast members, although there are some notable absences. Daniel Bernhardt's Agent Johnson made a serious impression in The Matrix Reloaded, and it'll be interesting to see how he factors into this new mysterious story.
Having Agent Johnson return to the franchise with The Matrix 4 makes a great deal of sense, as he was a character added to the very first sequel The Matrix Reloaded. He was one of the elite agents tasked with killing Neo, Morpheus, and The Keymaker. While not as meaty of a character as Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith, actor Daniel Bernhardt did a ton of thrilling action sequences throughout the course of the movie's 138-minute runtime.
Unfortunately, Hugo Weaving is one of the original Matrix actors who isn't expected to reprise his role as Agent Smith in The Matrix 4. The Lord of the Rings actor recently shared that his role was cut during negotiations, which was surprise news considering he was the primary antagonist of the Matrix trilogy. This news is even more puzzling now that we know Agents will indeed factor into the upcoming sequel's story. Laurence Fishburne is also not expected to play Morpheus, another shocking twist for fans.
As a reminder, you can check out some of Agent Johnson in The Matrix Reloaded below.
With Daniel Bernhardt back as Agent Johnson, Lana Wachowski now has five returning actors reprising their roles in The Matrix 4. The movie was originally announced with Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss confirmed to play Neo and Trinity respectively-- despite their characters' apparent deaths in The Matrix Revolutions. The mysterious sequel will also feature Jada Pinkett Smith and Lambert Wilson as Niobe and The Merovingian.
The story of The Matrix 4 is being kept under wraps, but anticipation has been steadily building. The sequel was in the midst of filming with wild stunts and explosions when sets around the world were shut down in the spring. But production has since resumed in Berlin, now with new health and safety precautions. Keanu Reeves has been sharing vague teases for the movie, especially praising Lana Wachowski's script.
The Matrix 4 is currently expected to hit theaters on April 1st, 2022. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next movie experience.
