Neo and Trinity return in The Matrix Resurrections, but the Wachowskis originally had a different plan if a fourth movie ever happened. Beginning in 1999 with the extremely influential The Matrix, the series continued with sequels Reloaded and Revolutions, all helmed by writer-directors Lilly and Lana Wachowski. With Lilly busy working on comedy show Work in Progress, the forthcoming The Matrix 4 will be directed solely by Lana and co-written by her and novelists David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon. The new entry stars Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss alongside high-profile newcomers like Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.

The original trilogy also featured an expanded ensemble outside of the main characters, among which were Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith), a hovercraft captain and former flame of Morpheus and The Kid, played by Clayton Watson, an enthusiastic young resident of the human city of Zion who looks up to Neo as a savior. Both were featured in The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions and participated in the defense of Zion against the Machines during the climax of the latter. Largely unrelated, these two characters seem to have particularly interested the writer-directors.

Related: Returning Matrix 4 Characters Missing From Resurrections' Trailer

In a 2003 EW interview, Watson mentioned the Wachowskis had told him that if the series ever continued past Revolutions, it would focus on The Kid and Niobe. Although there's no way to determine the seriousness of these comments, it would make sense given the apparent conclusion of the other characters' stories at the end of the trilogy. Also, although it is not mentioned in the movies, anime anthology The Animatrix shows the Kid is one of the few individuals to have achieved "self-substantiation," i.e., becoming aware of and removing themselves from the Matrix without outside assistance. No other character in the series is known to have done this, not even Neo, implying the Kid has powers beyond what may be readily apparent. Likewise, Niobe was shown to have a disproportionate level of prowess both inside and outside the Matrix relative to her smaller role, making her a natural choice for a new protagonist. However, the sequel is evidently not going in that direction. Instead, the Kid will have to rest on the developments his character received in the MMORPG, The Matrix Online, while the size of Niobe's role has yet to be determined in the latest entry.

The Kid hides behind machinery in The Matrix

Setting up continuations and spinoffs based on side characters is nothing new, and while it is most often seen in backdoor pilots for television, this instance is strikingly reminiscent of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, which introduced the character of Indy's son Mutt, played by Shia LaBeouf, who was teased as the future protagonist at the film's close. Although neither the Kid nor Niobe are the most iconic of characters, that isn't to say a trilogy led by Watson and Pinkett Smith wouldn't have worked. That said, it's doubtful fans of the series would be excited if the next entry focused entirely on these Matrix characters over Neo and Trinity either.

With Reeves's cultural prevalence greatly boosted by the John Wick films and the development of the MCU bringing big returns in franchise films to their zenith, now is a time that prefers continuations over spinoffs. That's even more so than in the early 2000s when the Wachowskis were first contemplating the possible future of The Matrix, even if it's interesting to ponder where the series could have gone with Niobe and The Kid.

Next: Theory: "The Matrix" Was A 1990s Movie In The Matrix Resurrections

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