Last April, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that Drew Goddard had been tapped to write and direct a new Matrix movie. Rumours of a reboot or spin-off have persisted for years, and while we don't know which category this project will fall into, the news excited fans of the franchise.
Goddard, best known for writing The Martian and directing The Cabin in the Woods, will be joined by franchise co-creator Lana Wachowski as executive producer.
Today, the question on everyone's lips is whether the movie will star Will Smith...as Neo?!
The Oscar-winner famously passed on the role to instead star in Wild Wild West. As a result, Keanu Reeves was cast as the iconic character and the rest, as they say, is history. However, a reboot could change things (and, hey, that's still a better idea than another sequel after the last three disappointing efforts).
On Instagram, Smith shared a brief video with a message reading, "In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time But the question remains: What would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo?"
It concluded by saying, "Wake up, Will...The Matrix has you..."
Whether this is the actor teasing his casting in a new Matrix movie remains to be seen, but it's generating plenty of interest online. Talking in 2019, Smith acknowledged that, had he been cast as Neo, the 1999 classic would have been vastly different.
"It’s not like it would’ve been like [the movie we got]. Keanu was perfect. Laurence Fishburne was perfect," he said. "If I had done it, because I’m Black, Morpheus wouldn’t have been Black, because they were looking at Val Kilmer. I was going to be Neo and Val Kilmer was going to be Morpheus. So I probably woulda messed The Matrix up!"
The Matrix was released in 1999 to widespread acclaim, with The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions following in 2003. They didn't receive anywhere near as warm a response as the original, and Lana returned to the property (minus Lilly) in 2021 for The Matrix Resurrections.
"It is not hyperbole to say The Matrix films changed both cinema and my life," Goddard said of the reboot. "Lana and Lilly’s exquisite artistry inspires me on a daily basis, and I am beyond grateful for the chance to tell stories in their world."
Check out Smith's post below.