The Matrix 4cast has officially added another cast member to its ranks just a month after it was confirmed the nextMatrixfranchise installment was greenlit.Lana Wachowskiwill return to direct a script she co-wrote with past collaborators onSense8, writersAleksandar HemonandDavid Mitchell. We also know that franchise starsKeanu ReevesandCarrie-Ann Mosswill reprise their respective roles as Neo and Trinity. Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow will both produce and distribute the film.
Per a report courtesy ofVariety, we know thatAquamanalumYahya Abdul-Mateen IIhas been cast in one of the lead roles forThe Matrix 4. Sources told Variety that Wachowski had been having some secret meetings with various candidates for the role, with Abdul-Mateen II evidently emerging victorious. Specifics about the nature of this lead role are still unconfirmed. However, Abdul-Mateen II’s casting could give some legitimacy to previous rumorsThe Matrix 4would involve a young Morpheus, the character originally played byLaurence Fishburnein the first threeMatrixmovies.
Similarly unclear aboutThe Matrix 4are any concrete plot details, including how Neo and Trinity will figure into things. The return of Neo is especially tricky since he technically died at the end of 2003’sThe Matrix Revolutions. Then again, in the world ofThe Matrixwhere computer programs reign supreme, Neo might be getting his operating system rebooted. But that’s just me, casually guessing and kinda, sorta hoping it actually comes true. We’ll have to wait and see.
Whatisclear is that Abdul-Mateen II is both an exciting choice and a solid one, too. TheAquamanstar is going to be back on our TV screens soon with HBO’s forthcomingWatchmenseries fromDamon Lindelof. If you’re curious to know what he’s like as a performer, check him out there (but also, you should seeWatchmenno matter what). Earlier this year, he appeared oppositeAnthony Mackiein one of three newBlack Mirrorepisodes released on Netflix.The Matrix 4offers some interesting new territory for Abdul-Mateen II to explore although he does admittedly benefit from the experience of working in big-budget action flicks, namelyAquaman.
Check out our additional coverage ofMatrix 4’s pre-production process here. The Matrix 4is scheduled to arrive in theaters in 2022.
