Original Morpheus star Laurence Fishburne reveals his condition for a return in The Matrix 5 after his “offer” for Resurrections was not received well. Fishburne starred in The Matrix trilogy as Morpheus, a resistance leader and mentor who believes in the prophecy of The One and guides Neo (Keanu Reeves) to awaken his true potential against the machines. Fishburne didn’t return for 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections and instead, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II played an AI program based on Morpheus.

During a recent appearance on The View, Laurence Fishburne was asked if he would be willing to return as Morpheus in The Matrix 5, which is currently in development. The actor says it “depends on the circumstances,” including “who is involved,” “how well the script has been written,” and if they even offer him the role. Fishburne said he offered to return in The Matrix Resurrections, though “they didn’t respond well to that.” Read his full comments or watch the video below:

It depends on the circumstances, who is involved, how well the script has been written, if they offer me… because I offered my services to the fourth Matrix, and they didn’t respond well to that. It’s not like I didn’t say, “Oh, I’d like to offer my services.” I did, and for whatever reason, that didn’t happen, OK. That’s the truth. So we’ll see.

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What Laurence Fishburne’s Comments Mean For Morpheus’ Matrix 5 Return

Could It Happen?

In April 2024, it was announced that The Matrix 5 was in the works, which will be written and directed by Drew Goddard, who previously penned Cloverfield, World War Z, and The Martian, the last of which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. Goddard has also directed The Cabin in the Woods, Bad Times at the El Royale, and penned the upcoming Project Hail Mary. The Matrix 5 will be the first film in the franchise not written or directed by the Wachowskis, though Lana remains on board as an executive producer.

It’s unclear which previous characters, if any, will return in The Matrix 5, though Warner Bros. executive Jesse Ehrman did say the story “will advance the fantasy world without straying too far from what made the series a success.” While Laurence Fishburne wasn’t asked to return as Morpheus in The Matrix Resurrections, which was co-written and directed by Lana Wachowski, that doesn’t exactly eliminate the possibility of him returning for the fifth film. The idea for the film came directly from Goddard, so it will seemingly depend on whether his vision includes Fishburne’s version of Morpheus.

Our Take On Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus Returning In The Matrix 5

He Needs To Return

Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus, along with Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith, were two of the original trilogy’s most important and beloved characters. In turn, The Matrix Resurrections deeply divided fans for not only excluding Fishburne and Weaving’s versions of their iconic characters, but for inexplicably merging both Morpheus and Agent Smith into an AI program played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. If The Matrix 5 truly wants to return the franchise to form, Laurence Fishburne’s Morpheus is a must.

Source: The View