Laurence Fishburne will not be involved in the next installment of the iconic The Matrix series, rather shockingly.
Fishburne played Morpheus in the Matrix trilogy - The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions (both 2003) - told New York Magazine he won't reprise the role as he was not invited.
“I have not been invited. Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope it’s great,” he said (H/T The Wrap).
Fishburne admitted his Morpheus character is the one he'll probably be best remembered for but pointed out that it won't be the only one.
“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," he 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.”
We can't be sure what the reason for Fishburne's exclusion is but it could be because he dies in the videogame The Matrix Online, a title directors Lana and Lilly Wachowski allowed to be a continuation of the movies' storyline. It's widely believed that the death was faked but this could be proof of it being real.
The plot of the upcoming film is still unknown, as are the details. However, it is expected to pick up where the trilogy left off.
Keanu Reeves, Carrie Ann-Moss, and Jada Pinkett-Smith are all set to reprise their roles while the likes of Jonathan Groff, Priyanka Chopra, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Neil Patrick Harris have been brought in.
The trilogy grossed more than $1.6 billion and all three movies were top 10 hits in the United States.
The fourth film was due for release in 2021 but Warner Bros. revealed it would be pushing it back to 2022 because of delays brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Shooting has reportedly resumed, though.
Source: The Wrap
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