Tom Hardy might make a surprise cameo in the background of The Matrix Resurrections. The upcoming fourth installment in the Matrix franchise comes nearly 20 years after the inventive sci-fi series was thought to have ended. It wasn't until 2019 that Warner Bros. confirmed that original stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss were returning to the Matrix for a new story written and directed by Lana Wachowski. Ever since that announcement, there has been great anticipation to see how The Matrix Resurrections continues the stories of Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus.
While Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are back to headline Matrix 4's cast, the story has meant not all of the original actors returned, despite some of their characters living on in a rebooted Matrix. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is playing a younger Morpheus, while Jonathan Groff is the new Agent Smith and Priyanka Chopra is the grown-up Sati. The Matrix Resurrections is bringing back a few other franchise veterans, though, as Jada Pinkett Smith's Niobe and Lambert Wilson's Merovingian are confirmed to return. The movie is also slated to introduce new characters like Jessica Henwick's Bugs.
It turns out that The Matrix Resurrections might also include a secret cameo from Tom Hardy. The Venom star was busy filming Venom: Let There Be Carnage in San Francisco at the same time that Matrix 4 was filming there. In an interview with Den of Geek, Jessica Henwick said this allowed her to meet Hardy and film something with him. Henwick revealed that she and Hardy run through the background of a few different shots but is not sure if the scenes - and thus Hardy's cameo - will make the cut.
"We were filming in San Francisco at the same time as Venom 2, and I met Tom Hardy. And so, Tom Hardy and I are running in the background of one of the scenes. And I’m so curious to see whether it made the cut."
Based on how Henwick describes the nature of Tom Hardy's possible The Matrix Resurrections cameo, it doesn't sound like he'll have a massive presence even if the scenes are included. There's even a chance that viewers won't be able to catch where Hardy is in the background unless they go frame-by-frame through Matrix 4 on HBO Max. Even if Hardy's cameo is cut, this isn't the first time the actor has taken on small roles in massive movies just for the fun of it. Tom Hardy filmed a stormtrooper cameo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, but this scene did end up on the cutting room floor.
The possibility of Tom Hardy having a cameo in The Matrix Resurrections is just another reason to get excited about the movie. It will also be fascinating to see if the sequel managed to secure any other high-profile secret cameos. The return of the Matrix franchise is a huge deal, and since there are no guarantees the series continues after The Matrix Resurrections, actors could've been lining up to make small appearances and enter this world. Thankfully, the film will be out shortly so Tom Hardy's involvement can be confirmed or debunked.
Source: Den of Geek
