Is Morpheus Who We Think in ‘The Matrix Resurrections’?
In The Matrix Resurrections, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II portrays the character of Morpheus, played by Laurence Fishburne in The Matrix, one of the most popular movies ever made. Unlike Neo and Trinity, Morpheus survives the final battle with the machines in the original trilogy. Why does Morpheus appear different? Is Yahya’s Morpheus a younger version of the same character? Why was Fishburne not invited back by director Lana Wachowski to portray the iconic character? Only the Matrix knows for sure.
What is the fate of Morpheus after ‘The Matrix’ trilogy?
At the end of The Matrix Revolutions, Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) have sacrificed themselves to save humanity from the world of machines. Out of the original main characters, Fishburne’s Morpheus was the only one still standing at the end of the trilogy. So, why is his version of the character absent from The Matrix Resurrections?
Abdul-Mateen II is playing a younger version of Morpheus. Why is Morpheus in a different body in The Matrix Resurrections? Why does he need a new vessel? The fourth film brings back Reeves and Moss in older versions of their characters. Why not have Fishburne portray Morpheus once again?
Does ‘The Matrix Online’ impact the character of Morpheus?
It begs the question, what happened to the old Morpheus? Did he die? Did something happen to him after the events of The Matrix Revolutions? According to The Matrix Online, the Wachowski sisters may have already provided the answer depending on whether the multiplayer RPG is considered canon in the franchise. What happened in the game is supposed to be part of the storyline. And in the game, Morpheus dies! He is killed in an alley by some assassin.
Does Lana Wachowski consider the online game part of the Matrix world? If so, that could explain why Fishburne’s Morpheus is not coming back. Yet, even in the gaming world, Morpheus might not have died. A human may survive a Matrix death if pulled out of the virtual world in time, meaning not physically dead in the real world.
In the film world, Morpheus is still very much alive. So why has he morphed into a different body? Is something else going on? We are dealing with a world where nothing is as it seems.
The appearance of Morpheus in ‘The Matrix Resurrections’
The Matrix Resurrections strongly hints that this is a new version of Morpheus. He appears to train Neo similarly as in the original movie. This Morpheus dresses like the old version and shoots with both hands the same way. He even rocks the same cool sunglasses. And he offers Neo the red pill to wake up from the nightmare of the Matrix.
Abdul-Mateen II may be playing Morpheus, now in a different body. It had happened before when actor Gloria Foster died before she could film The Matrix Revolutions. Mary Alice replaced her as the Oracle. The movie explained that she got a new shell after the Merovingian destroyed her appearance. The difference is that Oracle is a computer program, so changing her form would be easily achieved. On the other hand, Morpheus is a human being. In the Matrix, humans are projections of their ideal selves.
Could someone upload Morpheus’s mind to the Matrix and use a different body? Is that why Abdul-Mateen II appears surprised when he looks at himself in the mirror in The Matrix Resurrections trailer?
What remains to be answered is whether the Morpheus in the trailer is indeed the real deal. Could it be someone else entirely? Does Neo believe this is the same Morpheus? Neo trusted Morpheus in the past. Or is Neo being manipulated by the machines? Could they be using Morpheus to get Neo to do their bidding?
Will Fishburne make a surprise appearance in The Matrix Resurrections despite the actor stating he is not involved in the project? That would be a fun twist in a movie that promises to be full of surprises, action, and intrigue.
