Rumored Morpheus actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II opened up about making upcoming sequel The Matrix 4 and working with Keanu Reeves. The original Matrix trilogy is one of the most influential science-fiction franchises of all time and Lana Wachowski is returning to direct the fourth installment in the series, set for release this December. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith are reprising their roles as Neo, Trinity, and Niobe, respectively, but the cast is otherwise filled with fresh faces. In addition to Mateen, Neil Patrick Harris, Jonathan Groff, Jessica Henwick, Christina Ricci, and Priyanka Chopra are all slated to star in the film, but details about their characters are being kept under wraps.
Mateen is rumored to be playing a younger version of Laurence Fishburne’s iconic character Morpheus, the one who invited Reeve’s Neo into the matrix in the original 1999 film. With plot details being kept under lock and key, it’s hard to tell how exactly Moss and Reeves are returning – both Trinity and Neo died at the end of The Matrix Revolutions when they journeyed to the machine city to put a stop to the attack on Zion. Morpheus, however, survived the events of the film, but Fishburne won’t be reprising the character in The Matrix 4.
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Still, rumors point to Morpheus returning in some capacity and the actor who is expected to play a younger version of the character has opened up about filming the highly anticipated sequel. In a new interview with THR, Mateen admits to being starstruck when watching Reeves deliver his first line on set as Neo. Additionally, the actor touched on the new technology Wachowski utilized in the film as well as how the themes of the sequel resonated with the events in the world at large during production. Read his full quote below:
I remember Keanu and his first line. I looked up, and there was Keanu, and I said, ‘Oh shit, I’m really in The Matrix.' It was just Keanu in that voice. And the technology that Lana incorporated and the filmmaking, camera rigs that I’ve never seen before. It’s so ambitious. It was really interesting to be making The Matrix 4 at a time when the world was so warped and when reality was so distorted. It could creep in a little bit if you let it.
Mateen has quickly risen in the ranks of A-list talent in Hollywood, starring as Black Manta in 2018's Aquaman, a role he'll reprise in the 2022 sequel. Since then, Mateen has had roles in Jordan Peele's Get Out follow-up Us, Netflix's The Trial of the Chicago 7, and HBO's critically acclaimed Watchmen series. The Matrix 4 will be Mateen's second high-profile role of 2021 after he stars in The Marvels director Nia Da Costa's horror movie reboot Candyman, which is slated for release this August.
As for The Matrix 4, the Wachowski sister's return to the cyberpunk world of the original trilogy is perhaps one of the most highly-anticipated blockbusters of 2021 despite remaining shrouded in mystery. The return of Reeves and Moss is enough to get audiences excited, but the new cast is just as intriguing and will likely serve as an entry point for those new to the franchise. The Matrix 4 will arrive nearly two decades after the final film in the original trilogy debuted and it will pull double duty in introducing a new generation to the high tech world while serving as a nostalgia trip for longtime fans of the franchise.
Source: THR
