The Matrix franchise has laid dormant for more than a decade, but the upcoming film The Matrix Resurrections shows that its virtual world, and the struggle between humans and the machine overlords of the gilded cage they call reality, still has some life in it. One of the series’ central characters, Morpheus, survived to see the end of the original film trilogy, where Neo’s defeat of the rogue agent-turned-virus, Smith, allowed the human rebels and AI jailers to broker an uneasy peace of sorts. Morpheus died, perhaps fittingly, in a video game that released after The Matrix Revolutions. The beloved character who spent much of his life battling in a computer-simulated world in the Matrix movies was killed in The Matrix Online, an MMORPG that picked up where the third film ended.
Though the trilogy of movies were the most visible part of the Matrix franchise, the early 2000s saw several multimedia Matrix products that expanded on the lore of the films, such as The Animatrix, a series of animated shorts that took place in the same world. These spinoff works also included a number of Matrix video games, such as the single-player, third-person shooters Enter The Matrix and Matrix: The Path of Neo, as well as the MMORPG The Matrix Online. The online game was the most ambitious of these titles, as it continued the story of The Matrix, picking up where the films left off. The tenuous peace between humans and machines allowed for a rich setting, with several factions for players to choose from, and compelling story-based events that kept players engaged, one of which was the death of Morpheus.
With the upcoming release of the fourth Matrix movie, many fans would love to see The Matrix Online rebooted to coincidence with The Matrix Resurrections. The evolving metaplot is one reason the MMORPG was held in such high regard, despite its lack of commercial success. Following the events of The Matrix Revolutions, Morpheus demanded the machines return the body of Neo. When they failed to comply, he began acts of public insurrection, including detonating “code bombs” which revealed the true nature of the Matrix simulation, even to those humans who have not naturally awakened to the truth. In response to his actions, Morpheus was targeted by The Assassin, a mysterious masked figure who manipulated the code of the Matrix to emerge from a small vent, contortionist-style, and gun down Morpheus in a narrow alleyway.
The Matrix Online Advanced The Films' Story
While some gamers speculate that The Matrix Resurrections could lead to another videogame, it is unclear at present whether the “canon” events of the last Matrix MMO title will remain part of the backstory of the upcoming film. The Matrix Online added several elements to Matrix lore which aided its function as an online, multiplayer game, such as the “Emergency Jack-Out” for awakened humans, which allowed them to avoid dying in the real world if killed in the Matrix, as was the case in the films. This feature initially led some players to believe that The Assassin did not, in fact, kill Morpheus permanently. However, later metaplot additions noted the shooter made use of “kill code” technology, a difficult to produce bit of code that used a person’s self-image data to create a bullet that was truly lethal in spite of an Emergency Jack-Out.
Few videogames are permitted to have a lasting impact on a franchise that exists primarily in a different form of media, like adaptations of movies or comic books. This is why games like Batman: Arkham thrived by using an original continuity, where it could make dynamic changes to the status quo, without having an effect on any ongoing film or comic series featuring the character. The Wachowskis stated their intention for Monolith’s Matrix MMORPG to serve as the official continuance of the story that started in their movies, which was a novel, and appropriate way, for the series to evolve. More than twelve years have passed since the closure of The Matrix Online in 2009, however, and it is unclear whether those events will remain canon in regards to the upcoming movie sequel. Even if they are considered canon, it is unlikely they will be heavily referenced in the fourth film.
Despite its mainstream media tie-in, The Matrix Online was something of a niche MMORPG, although it is a fondly remembered one. By ending the third movie in a place of ambiguity, where there was hope for a better future, but without a true victory over the machines and an end to the simulation, the setting remained ripe for storytelling, and the online game took full advantage of this. Shocking moves, like killing off a key character such as Morpheus, meant the game was determined to advance the story in exciting new directions, instead of treading water and keeping all of the existing characters in place for a potential movie sequel. Even with a dwindling player base, the game’s shutdown was one of the most noteworthy events in the history of shuttered MMORPGs, as the message “Wake Up” displayed before player character avatars were rendered inert, and players were appropriately exiled to the real world.
Morpheus' Video Game Death Could Remain Canon In The Matrix 4 Movie
Video games do sometimes impact the canon of outside media, such as characters from the game Star Wars: Hunters appearing in comic book form. Many unknowns surround The Matrix Resurrections, which reportedly takes place 20 years after the last movie. Trailers show Keanu Reeves again portraying Thomas Anderson, Neo’s un-awakened original self, and taking “blue pills” prescribed by his psychologist. The film will also feature a new actor, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, playing a character named Morpheus. Laurence Fishburne played the original Morpheus, who died in The Matrix Online, and given the mystery surrounding the fourth movie’s story, it is possible that event will remain part of the backstory, and that the new Morpheus is another rebel who has taken on the name of a fallen hero.
Though mainstream audiences are likely less familiar with The Matrix Online than the original film trilogy, it would be entirely appropriate for the game’s events to remain canon, including the death of the original Morpheus. For a story about a virtual world to continue its narrative in an MMORPG, a virtual world (that players willingly participated in, unlike the fictional Matrix), was extremely fitting. Fans who took part in The Matrix Online, before its closure, will need to wait until December 22, 2021, to see if The Matrix Resurrections acknowledges the events of the MMORPG, including the assassination of the rebel leader Morpheus, as well as how Neo has evidently returned from the dead.