The trailer for The Matrix Resurrections sees Neo and Trinity more powerful than ever before. Eighteen years after the release of The Matrix Revolutions, fans still talk about Neo’s self-sacrifice to stop Agent Smith from destroying the world in order to broker peace between humans and the Machines. But now, both Neo and Trinity, who also died in the third installment, are mysteriously back. Until the fourth film’s December release, the trailer stirs anticipation as to the extent to which the cyberpunk freedom fighters kick more code than in the first three films.
Neo’s abilities have grown with each successive installment of The Matrix, from his humble beginnings as Thomas Anderson the hacker to his apprenticeship under the wise redpill Morpheus, and finally to his climactic final battle against Agent Smith. The increase in Neo’s immense powers correlates with his comprehension of the Matrix and his role as The One. Seeing as Neo has the Prime Program, the Matrix’s source code, he can alter the world of the Matrix as however he wishes. While he most often uses telekinesis—such as when he stops bullets in midair—he also possesses superhuman physical strength, endurance, agility, and speed, as well as near-invulnerability and flight.
The first major clue about Neo’s now-enhanced abilities appears in the trailer’s dojo fight, a fantastic echo of the first film’s scene. An older Neo faces off against Morpheus, whose mantle has passed from Laurence Fishburne to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Enraged when Morpheus claims to know him, Neo propels him back with a blast of energy that blows the entire dojo apart, showcasing a completely new power in his arsenal. But what might be even more impressive is his redirection of an incoming missile to a helicopter with just the motion of his hands (and a great amount of exertion, judging from the way he strains).
Similarly, in a fight against a SWAT team, Trinity elbows an officer with a level of force beyond her previously reality-constrained abilities. Her arm moves in such a way as to suggest she has the same superhuman speed that Neo can achieve, amounting to a hit that blows back her opponent. It might be theorized that Trinity’s scream and the numerous faces that appear may indicate another power. But it might also be her reckoning with her Matrix-rebooted indentity, as a few of the faces are those of an Asian woman. Trinity most likely appears as an Asian woman to everyone in the newest version of the Matrix, just as Neo’s reflection shows him as an older man.
However, among all of their new abilities, the power that the trailer arguably highlights most is one shared between Neo and Trinity. Three shots show them holding hands: one on when they first meet in the rebooted Matrix (they shake hands) and two on when they fight the aforementioned SWAT team. Their hands meet, a white glow shines, and shock waves burst, sending officers flying. As shocking as this moment in the trailer is, what’s even more worth noting is that it’s the first time a power in The Matrix franchise involves two people together. It’s no coincidence that the two people are Neo and Trinity, the films’ power couple. Their shared power suggests that The Matrix Resurrections will maintain one of the story’s main themes: love is the greatest power of all.
