‘The Matrix Resurrections’: Agent Johnson From ‘Matrix Reloaded’ Reported to Replace Agent Smith in ‘Matrix 4’
The fourth The Matrix movie’s production was shut down due to the pandemic, but it’s moving forward once again, to the delight of fans. The original The Matrix trilogy was well-received worldwide and told the story of a world that machines had taken over. Humans were plugged into the Matrix, which was a simulated reality. Some, though, knew the truth and actively fought against the machines. Keanu Reeves as Neo was the central character and was heralded as a messiah in 1999’s The Matrix and the sequels that followed. The main antagonist, Agent Smith, was played by Hugo Weaving. However, there’s a big difference in the upcoming movie, The Matrix Resurrections, as Weaving won’t be coming back.
Hugo Weaving will not return as Agent Smith in ‘The Matrix Resurrections’
According to Collider, Weaving spoke of his time as Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy fondly. He said that he was initially somewhat hesitant about reprising his role as Agent Smith since he’d played the character in three movies. However, when he got the script for the fourth The Matrix movie, he changed his mind. Weaving said yes to playing Agent Smith again, but it wasn’t meant to be.
While negotiating, differing schedules emerged. Weaving was doing a play and had limited time to film. Lana Wachowski, who is directing the movie, couldn’t make her dates work with Weaving’s schedule. That means no Agent Smith for The Matrix Resurrections.
Weaving expressed some disappointment, saying that he would love to see his co-stars and the crew again. He also reminisced about the time they spent filming the trilogy. They traveled all over the world, he said and became like a family. Overall, Weaving said that it’s a shame that he’s not doing the movie, but that “it’s fine.”
Agent Johnson may replace Agent Smith
Agent Johnson appeared in the second The Matrix movie, The Matrix Reloaded. He was a minor character who accompanied additional agents while trying to apprehend Neo and company. According to Fandom Wiki, he was the leader of the newly upgraded agents in The Matrix Reloaded. As part of three pivotal encounters in the movie, he is a recognizable character and antagonist.
His most memorable scenes involve a freeway chase, in which he is trying to kill the Keymaker. While fighting atop a semi-trailer moving at highway speeds, he gained the upper hand against Morpheus. He is single-minded and focused on his mission, as are all Agents. Because he was part of pivotal scenes in The Matrix Reloaded, he could be a natural fit for the next movie’s main villain since Weaving won’t be returning as Agent Smith.
According to Screenrant, the actor is already set to reprise the role. Daniel Bernhardt is confirmed to return as Agent Johnson.
Who else is returning for The Matrix Resurrections? With Hugo Weaving unable to return and Laurence Fishburne not coming back as Morpheus, that leaves just a few big questions.
Who is coming back for ‘The Matrix Resurrections’?
Some familiar faces will be coming back for The Matrix Resurrections.
Lana Wachowski will be directing, but this time without cohort Lilly Wachowski. Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss are set to reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity, says IMDb. According to Collider, we’ll see some other familiar faces, too.
Those include Jada Pinkett-Smith and Lambert Wilson. Pinkett-Smith will reprise her role as Niobe, a freedom fighter who initially didn’t believe in Neo or the prophecy concerning him. Wilson will play the Megovingian, a ruthless program in the simulation; his role is like a mob boss.
There will be some fresh blood, too. Collider says that Neil Patrick Harris, Christina Ricci, Yayha Abdul-Mateen II, and Priyanka Chopra are among the new cast.
