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Warner Bros has sent the internet down the rabbit hole yet again, as the first look at Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix 4, a.k.a. The Matrix Resurrections, was unveiled to the public. Unfortunately, one cannot merely drop a trailer for a movie as huge as this. Any studio in its right mind would have to be ready for the public to question every frame of that product for themselves. Which has given us the perfect opportunity to question everything we’ve seen in The Matrix Resurrections’ first trailer. But before we do, let's take another look at that trailer, just in case you need a bit of a refresher:
You can see why we’re so buzzed about The Matrix Resurrections; so much so that we’ve come up with at least 11 questions that delve into this upcoming sci-fi mind-bender, featuring Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. But enough monologuing on our end, as it’s time to jack in and free your minds again, dear readers. The Matrix has us, and these queries are only the start of wherever this path may lead next.
How Much Time Has Passed Between The Matrix Revolutions And The Matrix Resurrections?
As we learned from Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus in 1999’s The Matrix, the time in the digital world isn’t exactly linked with that of the physical realm. The Matrix Resurrections brings this question to mind right from the start, as our first look at whatever reality Thomas Anderson (Keanu Reeves) is inhabiting looks quite a bit like the world The Matrix Revolutions saw created in its aftermath. For now, we’re wondering just how has long it’s been since Neo and Trinity sacrificed themselves at the end of that installment.
What Broke The Truce Between Humanity And Machines At The End Of The Matrix Revolutions?
Look, The Matrix Revolutions is a big piece in the puzzle that is our line of questioning about The Matrix Resurrections’ potential story. The finale is also very important to our next question, which is this: what could have happened to have broken the truce between humanity and machines at the end of the previous trilogy? As The Architect (Helmut Bakaitis) and The Oracle (Mary Alice) left the door open when they spoke of the uncertainty of the truce in the film’s closing moments, it looks like it wasn’t a question of if, but when this was going to happen. Score one for The Architect, we suppose?
Could The Matrix Sequels Be Ignored In The Matrix Resurrections?
All of this talk about The Matrix Revolutions and its potential ties to The Matrix Resurrections forces another big question into the light. And this is especially true when reading some of the details released onto the internet alongside the first trailer’s debut:
The Matrix Resurrections is a continuation of the story established in the first Matrix film. … 20 years after the first film, the franchise that helped define pop culture at the turn of the century is back for a continuation and extension of the original movie.
Reading those details carefully, it seems as if The Matrix Resurrections might skip over The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Resurrections. Or at the very least, that chain of events will be established as a tangent of its own, with Resurrections starting the cycle anew. So how much of The Matrix sequels will we need to keep in mind when heading into The Matrix Resurrections and its potential sequels?
Is Neil Patrick Harris’ Therapist Character Secretly An Agent?
Ok, this might be a bit of wishful thinking/wild theory projection, but hear us out. When The Matrix Resurrections casted Neil Patrick Harris, he seemed destined to be an agent, partially because his image has always been about suiting up. But watching his unnamed therapist character talking to Thomas/Neo about his dreams of the Matrix, he doesn’t seem like a bad person on the outset. This has us even more suspicious, as a machine consciousness would love to have a trusted authority figure to pacify the one person who could break it all apart again. So is Mr. Harris secretly a successor to Agent Smith, or is he just unlucky enough to be an NPC on the wrong side of the issue?
Why Are Clips Of The Matrix Being Played Throughout The World Of The Matrix Resurrections?
This next question is tied into a theory that once presented itself early in The Matrix Resurrections’ hype machine. With those “leaked audition tapes” suggesting that “The Trilogy” exists in this world as a revolutionary video game, there’s already a foundation for the Matrix trilogy to be roped in through some very meta context. And if that early screening reaction that also confirmed the title was legit, things are about to go way into the metaverse.
Seeing clips of The Matrix being played in a mysterious action sequence that involves Morpheus (Yahya-Abdul Mateen II) meeting up yet again with Neo, we are forced to wonder just why clips of the 1999 film are being shown in world. Also, what does The Matrix mean to the people in this world, whether it's a video game or a movie? Maybe we shouldn't have traded in our copy of The Matrix: Path of Neo as soon as we did.
Are We Following Young Morpheus’ Journey This Time, Instead Of Neo’s?
Following Yahya-Abdul Mateen II basically confirming his character is indeed Morpheus, a whole can of worms has been opened pertaining to this fact alone. For now, we’ll merely focus on one that’s linked to a scene in the trailer that suggests Morpheus is the star of the show in The Matrix Resurrections. As we see Mateen’s character have a similarly liquid encounter to that of Keanu Reeves’ Neo in The Matrix, does that mean we’re going to actually be following Morpheus’ journey this time around? Also, if sequel canon is included, does this mean The Matrix Online’s death plot surrounding his character has something to do with that arc?
Does Trinity Finally Have Powers Matching Neo’s In The Matrix Resurrections?
Throughout the original Matrix movies, Neo was the all-powerful figure who found himself growing in strength as the films went on. The Matrix Resurrections seems to have Keanu Reeves’ protagonist retaining those powers, but it also looks like Carrie-Anne Moss’s Trinity also has similarly leveled up powers of her own. Will we see Trinity and Neo finally be a proper team, with crazy abilities to stop bullets in their tracks? If so, this next question is going to be a pretty important one.
Could That Obscured Figure Holding Neo At Gunpoint Be Trinity?
At one point in The Matrix Resurrections’ trailer, there’s an obscured figure pulling a gun on a kneeling Neo. Wearing a look of shock and potentially pure heartbreak, this person is obviously supposed to be a secret. There’s two different possibilities, and one of them happens to involve Trinity, as this looks like it’s taking place in the bank lobby setting they’re seen freezing bullets within.
Could this obscured figure actually be Trinity, ready to kill Neo for an unknown reason? Is Neo’s partner-in-crime making a surprise heel turn, or is some sort of digital possession forcing her to put Neo under the gun? That second case seems really relevant, as staring at that obscured face brings another possibility to mind; especially when paired with another quick shot of Trinity’s face looking to be overrun by green Matrix code.
Is Jonathan Groff The Matrix Resurrection’s Big Bad?
Another new face is introduced throughout this first look footage for the fourth Matrix movie, and Jonathan Groff’s seemingly harmless character feels primed to become The Matrix Resurrection’s big bad. Looking at that obscured shot for quite some time, it almost feels like it’s Groff’s face hiding behind the distortion. So could he be the person who, potentially, is controlling Trinity?
Plus, looking at the “remakes” of iconic Neo moments, like his final fight with Agent Smith at the end of The Matrix, Jonathan Groff’s unnamed character looks to be the new foe facing off against Keanu Reeves. Surely the fact that Reeves looks to be working for Groff at a company that could be named “Deus Ex Machina” wouldn’t have any bearing on that fact, right? The answer to the questions about how The Matrix’s film legacy ties into this world will probably be connected to this very concern.
Who Is Priyanka Chopra Jonas Playing In The Matrix Resurrections?
Out of the new faces coming onboard for The Matrix Resurrections, actor Priyanka Chopra Jonas was sadly not present in our initial round of footage to dissect. Which poses a simple question: who is Ms. Chopra Jonas playing in Lana Wachowski’s film? Of course, nothing’s ever that simple in The Matrix, and there is a character that could be earmarked for her to step into: Sati, last seen as a young girl in The Matrix Revolutions.
Linked to The Oracle in the final classic entry, she was smuggled into The Matrix for a very important reason. You deep-dive Matrix lore fans are probably recalling that moment in Enter The Matrix where The Oracle kind of confirms that Sati would be VERY important to the future of both worlds. It’s her hand that created the beautifully colored morning that somehow seems to exist in The Matrix Resurrections, so is Pryanka Chopra Jonas going to be another key character to expanding this new vision?
Does That Matrix Cat Have An Official Name?
We'll close this first line of questioning with something simple, and without any huge theories to make your head hurt. Just as a black cat was featured in the Matrix trilogy, a cute little four-legged void floof has made its way into both a rainy alley, and Neil Patrick Harris’s office, in The Matrix Resurrections. So is this cat important enough to have an official name? The internet is all about cute creatures and latching onto their presence, so if we can officially name this cat “Glitch,” it’d solve a lot of problems when writing about it in the future.
Then again, there may be a specific reason why this black cat is appearing in The Matrix Resurrections. In a world where nothing is ever what it seems, there may be something special about that feline interloper, rather than it just being a beautiful baby. December 22 is the big day the world will find out all of the secrets in The Matrix Resurrections, which will in turn probably inspire at least twice as many questions as a result. Of course, there will be two ways to check out Lana Wachowski and Keanu Reeves’ glorious re-teaming!
As always, you’ll be able to see The Matrix Resurrections in a theater near you, should you feel safe enough to rock yourself with IMAX sound and picture. But if you’re looking to sail into the digital vastness of this iconic pop culture landscape on your own couch, make sure to have your HBO Max subscription ready, as the film will also be streaming for the first 30 days of its release. Check out the latest subscription offer, should you need to sign up for access to this film, as well as the rest of The Matrix franchise. And yes, that does include The Animatrix.
