The Matrix Resurrections was widely anticipated, but after the return of the Merovingian (Lambert Wilson), many viewers left wishing the Twins had come back with him. The Merovingian (The Frenchman) made a comeback along with Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), but audiences were less than thrilled with the character’s return. Only a few minutes were given to the illustrious villain, and he was just a shell of the character whom viewers of the original trilogy know and love. Resurrections became somewhat of a disappointment to audiences hoping to see more of one of the franchise’s emblematic antagonists, especially when it would’ve been the perfect chance to bring back the Twins (Neil and Adrian Rayment), who some would argue are The Matrix sequels’ best villains.
The Frenchman was a crime boss who smuggled many of the exiled programs seen in The Matrix movies to save them from deletion. The Twins were such programs introduced in The Matrix’s sequel as the Merovingian’s highly loyal henchmen. It is unknown why they were exiled, but some suspect that they were originally programmed to be agents. The notorious freeway chase in The Matrix Reloaded began when Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) attempted to save the Keymaker (Randall Duk Kim). Neo stayed behind to fight the Merovingian and his men while Trinity and Morpheus were pursued by the Twins. What ensued was one of the greatest car chase scenes in movie history as Trinity, Morpheus, the Twins, and the Agents battled at high speeds on a busy freeway.
Audiences felt that his visible decline made the Merovingian’s Resurrections return disappointing. Because the Twins were such iconic characters in their own right, audiences were hoping for a comeback. The freeway chase was the best sequence in Reloaded, and many viewers label it as one of their favorite scenes in the entire series, and the Twins are arguably better antagonists than the Merovingian. They were henchmen, but they were just as formidable as the Frenchman himself and made for even better entertainment. They were skilled martial artists and knife-fighters with the ability to transfer back and forth between their corporeal form, phasing through solid matter. The Twins and the Merovingian were closely linked, so creators missed a perfect opportunity to bring back the sequels’ best villains.
In Reloaded, the Merovingian was a pompous and suave villain living the high life. He clearly wasn’t doing very well in the timeline between The Matrix 3 and 4, but without providing a proper amount of background, his inclusion in Resurrections felt out of place. His return was one of the biggest selling points of the new film, leaving viewers even more confused by his awkward inclusion. Pigeonholing such an important character from the original films in a way that made his appearance feel like a haphazard attempt at capitalizing on nostalgia after his inclusion was touted from the start was an extreme disappointment.
The action-star Twins would’ve elevated not only the Merovingian’s return but also the film as a whole. The decision not to bring them back was a missed opportunity. The Twins are so popular among audiences that even if creators chose to leave out the Merovingian completely, their return would’ve still gotten a positive reception. It’s understandable why viewers were disappointed to see a lackluster Merovingian as part of the cast for The Matrix Resurrections when his return was so highly anticipated. His character was made even less significant by the decision to ignore the Twins. A fast-paced action sequence featuring the sequels’ best villains would’ve been the perfect way to elevate the movie. Due to the lack of purpose the Merovingian’s character had in The Matrix Resurrections, it is clear that he didn’t need to be in the film at all. The only way to make his addition as powerful as viewers hoped would’ve been to bring the Twins back with him. In fact, they’re so well-liked that viewers probably would’ve been satisfied even if the Twins returned without the Frenchman altogether.