New teaser footage from The Matrix Resurrections has revealed first looks at a number of new and returning characters. The upcoming film features an ensemble cast of both fan favorites and franchise newcomers, including Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Eréndira Ibarra, Priyanka Chopra, Andrew Caldwell, Brian J. Smith, Ellen Hollman, and Christina Ricci. The Matrix Resurrections is scheduled to premiere on December 22, 2012, simultaneously in theaters and for streaming on HBO Max.
Despite casting news for The Matrix 4 having been public for months, very little has been revealed as to what characters the new stars will be playing. Even the characters from the previous films are loaded with questions, such as how Trinity is still alive after dying at the end of The Matrix Revolutions. The series has always been filled with twists and turns, so it’s likely that the characters’ true identities, origins and allegiances won’t be fully unveiled until the release of the final film.
In the meantime, however, some details can be gleaned from the character’s newly revealed first look images, pulled from the teaser site by imgur user p0rtman87. Not every announced cast member is shown in the teaser footage, but a number of new and old characters do appear in particularly enlightening moments. Here’s every Matrix Resurrections character shown so far, who plays them in the film, and who they actually are in the context of the story.
Keanu Reeves As Neo
Keanu Reeves’ Neo is back in full force in The Matrix 4, and the new teaser footage shows him leaping into action. The star is sporting the long hair and beard look that’s become his trademark in the modern era, and overall he looks very much like he does in the John Wick films. The shots revealed thus far show Neo using his superpowers in a motorcycle chase, stopping bullets, throwing intense martial arts moves, and preparing to fly – all suggesting that The One Is just as powerful in The Matrix Resurrections as he was in the preceding films, if not more so.
Of course, what exactly Neo is doing in The Matrix 4, and why, remain a mystery. It’s unclear how much time has passed since the end of the original Matrix trilogy, or what iteration of the cyber world is being shown in the images. Neo certainly seems to be up against dangerous foes, and if the past films are any indication, those enemies will be tied to the malicious programs that built the Matrix in the first place. It should be exciting to see just how powerful Neo is now and what exactly he’s up to when The Matric Resurrections releases.
Carrie-Anne Moss As Trinity
It’s been known for some time that Carrie-Anne Moss’s Trinity would be returning in The Matrix Resurrections, and film’s teaser footage has given fans their first look of what the star will look like in character this time around. True to form, the shots show her running on walls and beating up bad guys (or maybe good guys?) in high style. Trinity unfortunately can’t be seen all that clearly in the current footage, so there’s definitely a lot still in store for fans to find out.
The biggest mystery surrounding Trinity’s return is obviously how she’s still alive. At the end of The Matrix Revolutions, Trinity dies while helping Neo defeat Agent Smith. But now, she appears to be very much alive and capable of all the action she pulled off in the original Matrix trilogy. Some theories hold that this version of Trinity isn’t actually real, but rather a program or someone else in disguise. Or perhaps there are still big secrets to the Matrix that have yet to be revealed. Given the film’s title, anything seems possible.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen's Matrix 4 Character
Candyman star Yahya Abdul-Mateen will appear alongside Moss and Reeves in The Matrix 4, but his character hasn’t yet been named or explained in any official capacity. The Resurrections teaser footage shows him in a few different scenarios – staring at himself in a mirror, running down a hallway while pursued by a gunman, and battling in a martial arts dojo akin to the one seen in the original Matrix. There’s also a very interesting shot of someone who appears to be Abdul-Mateen’s character being formed out of some sort of cyber hologram.
The predominant fan theory is that Abdul-Mateen is playing a young version of Morpheus in the film, either brought back from the dead or altered by the Matrix itself. That theory is supported by the iconic glasses he’s seen wearing in the hallway shot, his kung fu outfit, and his apparent allegiance to the supposed good guys of the film. Nothing has been officially confirmed yet, but regardless of his true identity, it looks like Abdul-Mateen’s character will be central to the film’s overall plot.
Jonathan Groff’s Matrix 4 Character
Mindhunter star and Broadway icon Jonathan Groff is one of the new cast additions in The Matrix 4, but like the other newcomers, few details have been revealed about his character. In the shots, he’s shown in what appears to be some sort of luxury office, well dressed and well groomed, with what can only be described as a smug look on his face. It seems likely that Groff is playing one of the primary villains of The Matrix Resurrections, and some fans have even theorized that he’s the reincarnated Agent Smith, played by Hugo Weaving in the original trilogy. The most disturbing moment for Groff in the teaser footage is certainly the shot where his mouth begins to melt shut – an unsettling moment that directly calls back to the original Matrix agents.
Jessica Henwick’s Matrix 4 Character
The last main character revealed in the Matrix Resurrections footage is the one being played by Iron Fist star Jessica Henwick. Dressed in very Matrix appropriate black leather jacket and a bright blue hairdo, Henwick’s character appears to be fighting on the side of good, as one shot shows her escaping down the same hallway as Abdul-Mateen’s mystery man, pursued by the same assailant. Henwick is perfect choice for the world of The Matrix, and the teaser footage already gives some great first looks at all the action her character will be getting up to in the film. It should be exciting to learn more about her and the other new characters as The Matrix Resurrections gets closer to its December 22, 2021 release date.
