‘Morpheus’ explains why he wasn’t in the latest Matrix movie: “I offered my services and they didn’t respond well to that”

When ’The Matrix’ was released in 1999 it was both a critical and commercial success, winning four Academy Awards while also becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film in history.

That was succeeded by the less successful ‘The Matrix Reloaded’ and ‘The Matrix Revolutions’, both released in 2003. What followed was an 18-year wait for the fourth episode from the series, ’The Matrix Resurrections’ in 2021, but one key cast member did not make the cut.

Laurence Fishburne played Morpheus in the first three films but was not asked to reprise the role for the most recent release. In a recent appearance on The View, Fishburne revealed that he has been eager to return to the franchise.

“I offered my services to the fourth Matrix, and they didn’t respond well to that,” Fishburne said on Thursday. “It’s not like I didn’t say, ’I’d like to offer my services.’ I did.”

Will there be a fifth Matrix movie?

Looking ahead, there is talk of a fifth Matrix film currently being in the works. When asked about the prospect of a return, Fishburne said that his casting would “depend on the circumstances” regarding the team working on the production. He explained: “It depends on who was involved, how well the script has been written.”

Earlier this week Variety reported that a ‘Matrix 5′ is currently being worked on with Drew Goddard in place as director and Lana Wachowski as executive producer. Wachowski was a director for each the first four Matrix movies and took full control for the fourth edition, the first to have her as sole director.

This time around it looks like Goddard will provide the vision for the franchise going forward. Speaking recently, Warner Bros. Motion Pictures president of production Jesse Ehrman revealed that Goddard is planning to push the series forward.

“Drew came to Warner Bros. with a new idea that we all believe would be an incredible way to continue the Matrix world, by both honoring what Lana and Lilly began over 25 years ago and offering a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters,” Ehrman said in a statement.

“The entire team at Warner Bros. Discovery is thrilled for Drew to be making this new ‘Matrix’ film, adding his vision to the cinematic canon the Wachowskis’ spent a quarter of a century building here at the studio.”

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