The Matrix Resurrections has effectively confirmed an Agent Smith return theory, suggesting that the revival of the character may be inextricably tied to Neo. As the infamous villain of the original Matrix trilogy, Smith first worked on behalf of the Machines, becoming Neo's arch-nemesis in the process, with the two finding themselves inextricably intertwined in the fate of the Matrix and, by extension, all of humanity. Given his status in the saga, and despite Hugo Weaving's inability to reprise the role himself, it's only fitting that The Matrix 4 will see some form of Agent Smith return and the continuation of his relationship with The One.
The Matrix Trilogy explores several thought-provoking themes, but the one most deeply interwoven is that of duality. Human or machine. Red pill or blue pill. Love or duty. Fate or free will. Every major concept and idea presented by The Matrix is about a duality of some kind. But by the end of The Matrix Reloaded, the lines become blurred and it's revealed that the duality of human and machine isn't as clear cut as it once appeared. In the movie's climactic moments, Neo is shown to be able to exert his influence on the machines, even when outside the Matrix, while Agent Smith enters the real world, copying his artificial consciousness into a human body.
This pattern reveals that Neo and Smith are essentially two sides of the same coin, equal and opposite. It's still unclear how the story is going to unfold, but one Matrix Resurrections theory confirms that both Neo and Trinity have been brought back to life in some way. Given their connection (highlighted by Smith during his notorious The Matrix: Reloaded soliloquy) it's therefore quite likely that it was impossible to resurrect Neo without also resurrecting Smith. Consequently, their bond could well continue to define the latest edition to the franchise, nearly two decades after their supposedly climactic final battle.
How The Matrix Tied Neo To Agent Smith
During the first movie, Agent Smith was little more than a sophisticated piece of anti-virus software, just one of many other programs in the Matrix as Neo was one of many other people. Smith and the other agents operated on a basic function to police the Matrix and eliminate any influences they considered harmful. It's a scene with Morpheus, where Smith first betrays that he longs to escape from the Matrix — notably the reverse of Neo's original state as a regular human unaware he wasn't in the real world. Ironically, it's Neo who accidentally gives Smith his freedom. When he decompiles Smith's program from the inside, at the end of The Matrix, he severs Smith's connection to the machines, leaving Smith free to operate autonomously. Both effectively go through the same change at each others' hands, first effectively dying and then being figuratively reborn as something much more than they once were.
One of their major fight scenes during The Matrix Reloaded also works as a visual metaphor for their opposite nature. To all free humans, Neo is known as “The One” and is singled out among the others, seemingly to his own discomfort. On the other hand, Agent Smith can now copy himself indefinitely, becoming many, and taking great glee in the fact that he can do so. He even attempts to copy himself directly into Neo, giving the first hint of what he eventually aims to do.
The two mirror each other again after they learn how they can exert influence in each others' worlds. This leads to the two battling in the real world, where Neo defeats Smith, but not before having his eyes burned out. Where Neo accidentally freed Smith from his constraint before, this time it's Smith who frees Neo, damaging him irreparably, but also making him realize that he can see the machine world without needing his eyes.
How Neo Destroyed Agent Smith In The Matrix Revolutions
To defeat Smith, Neo must sacrifice himself. In their final titanic confrontation at the end of The Matrix Revolutions, Neo's title of The One takes on its most literal meaning. He is now the only human left. As far as we can tell, Smith has taken over the entire Matrix and copied his program into every living person. Where he was once anti-virus software, he is now the virus, having grown too powerful for the machines to contain either him or the chaos he causes.
Neo defeats Smith through the simple fact that he's aware, both of himself and of Smith's intentions. Being physically plugged into the Matrix from the Machine City, at the Source, Neo is able to act as a direct conduit between the machines and the Matrix. After Smith defeats Neo, he copies himself into Neo's body, but unknowingly connects himself directly to the Machine City. This lets the machines deconstruct Smith's code, deleting all copies of him and resetting the Matrix to the way it once was.
How Smith's Matrix Resurrections Return Could Link To Neo
While The Matrix Resurrections is again centered around Neo and Trinity, it's unclear how this is possible after the end of The Matrix Revolutions saw the death of both characters. The machines may have saved them both, resuscitating them and putting them back into the Matrix as a form of life support. Alternatively, the machines may have saved them in a more digital sense, recreating their personalities and consciousnesses as programs. Either way, it's clear they've been there for a long time, as one shot in the trailer shows Neo catching a glimpse of his much older face in a mirror.
Either of these possibilities could have led to Smith's return, however. The original Matrix Trilogy showed Smith copying himself into numerous other people, but was hazy on the specifics. Given the deep bond between Smith and Neo, it's possible some part of Smith may have survived within Neo — either as a part of Neo's digital self within the Matrix or, more unsettlingly, within Neo's own physical brain. A partial copy of the original could result in this new version of Smith. One way or another, Neo and Smith could be more deeply linked than anyone previously realized. It may be that one can no longer exist inside the Matrix without the other. If this is the case, it would give Smith a huge incentive to make sure Neo remains in the Matrix with no knowledge of the real world outside.
The Matrix Resurrections promises to be an exciting movie, packed with the same enthralling storytelling from the original Matrix trilogy, while also offering plenty of new things to enjoy. The story itself is still shrouded in secrecy, with little to go on but a couple of trailers, a few rumors, and a lot of speculation. There are a few things, though, which audiences can certainly expect from the new movie — exciting fight sequences, breathtaking special effects, and more of the complex relationship between Neo and Agent Smith.