The Matrix Resurrections star Yahya Abdul-Mateen-II has revealed that his Morpheus is not the same as Laurence Fishburne's character from the original Matrix films. Abdul-Mateen II's Morpheus was first seen in the upcoming The Matrix sequel's first trailer, which was released in early September. Morpheus can be seen interacting with Keanu Reeve's Neo, urging the One to accept the difficult truth of his reality once more.
In original Matrix movie trilogy, including The Matrix, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, Fishburne portrays the captain of the Nebuchadnezzar aircraft. He jumpz back into the Matrix to free Neo/Thomas Anderson from Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) and the illusion he is living in. Morpheus teaches Neo of the potential he possesses and puts his faith in the One, fighting against the Machines in the Matrix, and outside of it during the battle of Zion in the real world across the following films. Following The Matrix Resurrections trailer's release, Abdul-Mateen II confirmed his Morpheus casting on Instagram, leading many viewers to question whether his and Fishburne's character were one and the same.
In an interview with British GQ, Abdul-Mateen II was asked about his character and how he may connect to Fishburne's character. Though the characters share names, Abdul-Mateen II insists that his and Fishburne's Morpheus are different, and the actor has not been in contact with his predecessor during the film's production, though he hopes to eventually talk to him. The interview's author, Jonathan Dean, references Morpheus's death featured in The Matrix Online video game, before stating that Abdul-Mateen II told him that the pair's connection "will make sense" when the film is released. Check out the full excerpt below.
“‘The character’s called Morpheus,’ [Abdul-Mateen II] corrects me, fast. There is some consternation online about why Laurence Fishburne, the original Morpheus, is not playing the character called Morpheus, given Keanu Reeves is back as Neo and Carrie-Anne Moss as Trinity. Has he spoken to Fishburne? ‘By the time this interview comes out, I would have. I want to.’ It should be pointed out that Fishburne has not only been very gracious in the build-up to this fourth film, but also that, if you go by strict ‘Matrix’ folklore, namely a video game called ‘The Matrix Online,’ Morpheus is actually dead. ‘It will make sense when it comes out,’ says Abdul-Mateen, who is playing Morpheus but is not Morpheus.”
Despite both Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss returning for the sequel, Fishburne has denied involvement with The Matrix Resurrections, stating he was not asked to return alongside his co-stars, despite his character surviving the first trilogy. Early rumors and reports suggested that Abdul-Mateen II would be playing a younger Morpheus in 2017, with the film believed then to possibly be a prequel, though Reeves and Moss's return disproved those reports. When the film's first trailer debuted, Abdul-Mateen II's then-unnamed character resembled Morpheus, copying the character's style and recreating many iconic moments with Neo, such as the pair's training fight and Morpheus offering Neo the pills to awaken from his slumber. Once Abdul-Mateen II confirmed he would be playing Morpheus, viewers began to speculate on what this would mean in the film.
As Morpheus has so far been the only known character recast in The Matrix Resurrections, many have wondered why the character has changed. Abdul Mateen II hinted his iteration of Morpheus will see growth and self-discovery, leading some to suspect this younger incarnation may be a new program created to deceive and manipulate Neo. Further speculation has tied this theory into the events of The Matrix Online, where Fishburne's Morpheus is assassinated for resisting the Machine's and demanding the return of Neo's body following The Matrix Revolutions, leading to a fake Morpheus program to restart the conflict between Humanity and the Machines. No matter what the answer may be, the truth with soon be revealed to fans when The Matrix Resurrections hits screens next month.
Source: British GQ
