For fans of The Matrix franchise, Keanu Reeves was the best star to play the brave lead character Neo. Reeves brought a vital mix of qualities to the function, including his athletic physicality for the jaw-dropping battle scenes, his calm temperament, and a capability to communicate a sense of marvel– all of that made the character of Neo among the most renowned of perpetuity in the world of sci-fi movie theater.
Obviously, the franchise might quickly have actually ended up really various. That’s due to the fact that ’90s megastar Will Smith, who was riding high at the time thanks to hits like Male in Black and Self-reliance Daynotoriously declined the function of Neo when the Wachowskis used it to him. He selected rather to star in the ridiculous Wild West — a choice he’s joked about typically in interviews as one of his greatest profession errors. Fate, however, plainly has a funny bone, due to the fact that Smith has actually begun 2025 by sending out fans of The Matrix into a craze, with his name once again connected to the precious films.
In a puzzling 30-second clip that he shared on Monday with his 70 million Instagram fans (which you can see here), Smith appears to recommend he’s taking part in an as-yet-unannounced brand-new Matrix task. The message Smith shared checks out: “In 1997, the Wachowskis provided Will Smith the function of Neo inThe MatrixSmith turned it down. He selectedWild Westthinking it was a much better suitable for him at the time. The concern stays: What wouldThe Matrixhave resembled with Will Smith as Neo? Awaken, Will … The Matrix has you.”
Information, at this moment, are clearly limited, however we can hypothesize about what the Fresh Prince may be driving at. A cameo look? A considerable function in broadening deep space, perhaps even Smith playing some type of alt-Neo in a multiverse-inspired principle? Or how about none of the above?
Tech. Home entertainment. Science. Your inbox.
Register for the most intriguing tech & & home entertainment news out there.
By registering, I consent to the Terms of Use and have actually examined the Privacy Notice.
If you ask me, offered where we are on the calendar, my suspicion is that what’s most likely going on here is Will teasing a Super Bowl commercial. On an associated note, one just needs to briefly browse online chatter from Matrix fans (here, here, and here, for instance) to comprehend that the possibility of Smith’s addition to the franchise hasn’t precisely been consulted with open arms. For a franchise developed on alternate truths and rewording the guidelines of presence, having him contribute, any function, appears like it would absolutely cause a problem in the matrix.