Will Smith could have been The Matrix‘s star. Smith is a renowned Hollywood actor, having become a dominant star through his show, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Initially, Smith was viewed as a comic, constrained to comedy alone. Quickly, however, he proved that he also had the potential to be an action star. He wet his feet with the action-comedy Bad Boys, then appeared in the full-scale action feature, Independence Day. He even appeared in Men in Black as a leading man. There was one sci-fi action movie, however, that he turned down: The Matrix.

Rather than appear as Neo in The Matrix, Smith let the role go to Keanu Reeves. He turned his attention to Wild Wild West, a Western that failed to earn a profit at the box office. 26 years after the movie’s release, YouTuber KH Studio put together a trailer that imagines what Smith might have looked like as Neo:

The trailer, which used a variety of editing tools and AI to piece together Smith’s previous performances, features Smith discovering that “something is wrong” with the world. The trailer ends with Smith, as Neo, flying through the sky above a bright city.

What This Trailer Means For The Matrix

Will Smith Could Have Succeeded

Smith turned down The Matrix, largely because he did not want to be constrained to science-fiction. He also simply was not entirely convinced by the concept. By focusing on Wild Wild West, it seemed logical that he could avoid being typecast in the future. He was largely correct, as Reeves has spent much of his career typecast as the gunfu action star. Still, Wild Wild West was a disaster, earning a 16% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes and disappointing at the box office. Even Smith admits that it was a failure of a movie.

Had things gone differently, this trailer is proof that Smith easily could have been as successful as Reeves. The trailer is certainly believable, and the story remains the same as it is with Reeves in the leading role. Besides, a 92-second trailer does not reflect the entirety of the Matrix movies in quite the same way. Smith could have excelled as Neo, but this trailer is not proof. He is not even in the trailer, as he is instead portrayed by an AI deepfake and extensive editing. Smith could have had a completely different take on the character.

Our Take On The Will Smith Matrix Trailer

Keanu Reeves Was Still The Right Casting

Even if Smith could have been successful, Reeves was perfect for the role. With Reeves taking the opportunity to reinvent himself as a star, the movie managed to become a cultural sensation. Reeves is a brilliant action star, and he was perfect as Neo. Smith might have been fun, but he also could have disappointed in the role. The risk is simply not necessary. The Matrix works. It even became a financial juggernaut, earning $460 million at the box office. There is no need to fix what is not already broken.

Source: KH Studio