Does Neo still exist as ones and zeros scattered around the digital world in The Matrix 4? The Wachowski sisters' epic Matrix story came to a conclusion in 2003 with The Matrix Revolutions, and while humanity finally won peace, the cost was great. Unlike previous versions of The One, Neo chose not to reset the Matrix and destroy Zion, and continued fighting. Keanu Reeves' hero struck a bargain with the Machines, agreeing to take down the increasingly powerful Agent Smith in exchange for an end to the war between Zion and The Machines. Tragically, Smith's destruction necessitated Neo's demise, as he acted as a conduit for The Machines to overload Smith with energy.
The Matrix was reset and peace reigned over man and machine alike, but while Neo wasn't alive to bask in the glory of his victory, The Oracle predicted he would return at an unspecified point in the future. Sure enough, Keanu Reeves is confirmed to be reprising his most famous role in 2021's The Matrix 4, when Neo and Trinity will embark on a new adventure. The sequel's plot and new characters remain largely mysterious, and it's not yet known why The One is brought out of retirement, or who will be his opponent.
Rather than the why behind Neo's resurrection, the bigger mystery of The Matrix 4 is the "how." A plethora of exciting theories for Neo's return have been mooted since the announcement was made. These include being revived by The Oracle, a previous version of Neo time-travelling from the past, and Keanu Reeves playing an entirely different character. Another potential explanation is that Neo is still alive inside the Matrix as a digital entity.
Neo's Physical Form Is Still Dead In The Matrix 4
Part of the Matrix's mass appeal can be chalked up to the trilogy's polar opposite settings - the futuristic real world of Zion, and the more recognizable simulation that the likes of Neo, Morpheus and Trinity manipulate to their will. Each major human character then has two separate incarnations - for example, the badass, leather-clad Trinity riding motorbikes and shooting up bad guys in the Matrix contrasting with the more ordinary, plainly dressed woman in Zion. It's possible that when The Machines killed Agent Smith by shooting a surge of electricity through Neo's body, only his physical body was killed, while Neo's residual self image remained unharmed. The Matrix Revolutions sets a precedent for this with the return of The Oracle, who was absorbed by Agent Smith just like Neo, but returned to life by the final scene. Since The Oracle was entirely comprised of code, it seems that Smith's destruction didn't affect the digital entities the villain had assimilated. Neo's RSI could still be out there.
It's not a stretch to imagine that the Matrix might store RSIs within its memory, but without the physical Neo to plug into the Matrix, his data would be uselessly floating around in the digital ether - like leaving save files on a hard drive after already uninstalling the game. The Matrix 4 could be less about resurrecting Neo, and more about turning his lingering RSI into a sentient being in its own right, similar to programs such as The Oracle and The Architect. This would fit neatly with on-set images that have emerged from The Matrix's filming. These shots depict an older Neo in everyday clothes, seemingly within the Matrix and as oblivious to his own importance as he was during the Thomas Anderson days. These scenes might show Neo's lost RSI inside the Matrix, living an ordinary life without his physical form to plug-in and take control.
Neo's Code Surviving Makes More Sense Than Neo Being Revived
While the returning duo of Neo and Trinity naturally became the face of The Matrix 4, the sequel also boasts an impressive cast of younger acting talent, including Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jonathan Groff, Jessica Henwick and Neil Patrick Harris. Warner Bros. might treat The Matrix 4 as a passing of the torch from the original cast to a newer crop of characters who will carry the franchise forward in subsequent sequels. If Neo existed purely as an RSI within the Matrix and didn't have a physical presence in the real world, the newer cast would have space to take center stage. Keanu Reeves would then play a mentor figure, helping the new protagonists, but unable to physically involve himself in the action.
Neo returning exclusively within the Matrix would allow Lana Wachowski to avoid a heap of tricky pitfalls in The Matrix 4. Aside from explaining how Neo comes back to life, his physical resurrection would create an eyesight issue - would the revived Neo still not be able to see? Moreover, bringing Neo back properly would risk tarnishing the weight of his sacrifice in The Matrix Revolutions. However, if Neo's role in The Matrix 4 was purely as an RSI, there would be no need for long-winded explanations, no concern of possible blindness, and the final moments of The Matrix Revolutions would still hold meaning because Neo's body stayed dead.
Thematically and practically, Neo appearing in The Matrix 4 in digital form only makes much sense, and the franchise has laid for foundations for this storyline already with The Matrix Online. When the video game was released in 2005, it was intended as a canon sequel to the Matrix movie trilogy, and while The Matrix 4 will likely supersede all that transpired in the short-lived MMORPG, there are some clues as to how Neo might return. In The Matrix Online, pieces of Neo's code are found scattered throughout the Matrix, waiting to be reassembled, and this idea could form the skeleton of Neo's return in The Matrix 4. Furthermore, the video game saw Morpheus discover that The Machines had retained Neo's corpse after The Matrix Revolutions - perhaps his lifeless body is the secret to reassembling The One's dismantled code.
Existing In The Matrix Finishes Neo's Jesus Arc
It's no secret that the Matrix trilogy paints Neo as an allegory of Jesus Christ. Just like the son of God, Neo becomes a savior of the ordinary people, proves his greatness by resurrecting from the dead (at the end of the 1999 movie) and goes away again, promising to return at some point in the future. Humanity still awaits news of Jesus Christ's reappearance, but Neo's comeback is slated for 2021 in The Matrix 4. According to religious scripture, the son of God will descend from heaven to pass judgement on his subjects and establish his Kingdom. Although there are wildly different interpretations of the Second Coming, most of them claim that Christ will return in all his divine glory, rather than the human guise that appears throughout the New Testament. The Matrix's messiah metaphor would be better served if Neo ascended into a digital being, rather than being literally raised from the dead, as this would more accurately follow how the Second Coming is presented in religious doctrine.
The nature of existence has always been a central topic in the Matrix story, from the sentience of The Machines to Cypher's denial of reality. If Neo became a digital character in The Matrix 4, essentially a program rather than a human, the philosophical discussion could continue. Is this version of Neo the same as the original? What makes Neo "Neo?" Is Neo's RSI a lesser version of the real thing? Interestingly, Keanu Reeves has described The Matrix 4 as a "love story," which perhaps teases a dilemma for Trinity. After spending years fighting against software, could Trinity accept her boyfriend becoming a piece of code?
The Matrix 4 surprised fans when Neo's return to the franchise was announced. By turning the protagonist from a human into a program, the sequel can subvert expectations, continue the dualism of the two conflicting species, and avoid the even bigger exposition dump that would be necessitated if Neo was revived physically. More importantly, The Matrix 4 would feel unique from the previous movies if Neo were contained solely within a simulation, unable to escape into the outside world. The One is an incredibly powerful being, after all, and should he reappear at full power, The Matrix 4 would be a very brief movie indeed.
