A new trailer for the many Warner Bros. movies releasing on HBO Max in 2021 may hint at The Matrix 4 receiving a different and simpler title upon release. Following The Matrix trilogy that released between 1999 and 2003, The Matrix 4 is thought to be a continuation that sees original franchise stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Ann Moss return as Neo and Trinity, respectively. Also returning is Lana Wachowski, who along with her sister, wrote and directed The Matrix trilogy.
Like so many films currently in production, The Matrix 4 suffered through many delays before it managed to wrap filming late last year. The movie's release date has also been shuffled around, with it originally set for a release in May 2021 before landing on its current release date of December 21, 2021. Like all of WB's 2021 movies, The Matrix 4 will release simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, but it may also be releasing under a different title.
In a new trailer from HBO Max that teases many of WB's upcoming movies, a title card that quickly flashes across the screen (at roughly the 0:25 mark in the video below) simply says: "Matrix". Assuming this is in reference to the upcoming The Matrix 4, then it's possible the fourth movie in the franchise has been retitled, dropping its definite article and numbering. Screen Rant has reached out to WB for comment on the possible title change and will update if and when we receive a response.
Along with Reeves and Moss, Jada Pinket Smith is also returning as Niobe for this fourth Matrix movie. These veterans will be joined by new cast members Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jonathan Groff, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Eréndira Ibarra, Brian J. Smith, Andrew Caldwell, and Ellen Hollman. Unsurprisingly, little is known about the characters these new cast members are playing, but there is some speculation Abdul-Mateen II, best known for his roles in Watchmen and Aquaman, is playing a young Morpheus.
For that to be the case, then The Matrix 4 would need to involve either flashbacks or some time travel. Within the Matrix itself, either should be possible, but at the end of The Matrix Revolutions all those still connected to the Matrix were to be liberated. Still, that doesn't mean this Matrix sequel won't find a reason for its characters to return to the digital plane of existence. After all, there will need to be some explanation for how Neo and Trinity can appear seeing as both are killed in Revolutions. Having them exist within the Matrix could be one way to explain their return.
A return to the Matrix - or maybe some new version of it - could also help explain this potential title change. Calling the fourth movie in the franchise simply Matrix may hint at there being a different relationship between the characters and the Matrix, or a new understanding of it. Either way, deviating away from the title format of The Matrix trilogy points to some sort of change. That or The Matrix 4 is about to become yet another sequel in a popular franchise with a title that makes its sequence of movies just more confusing.
Source: HBO Max
