Laurence Fishburne revealed he offered to return for “The Matrix Resurrections” but was turned down and left out of the 2021 sequel.
Laurence Fishburne said he reached out to join The Matrix Resurrections but was turned down.
The legendary actor revealed on The View that his offer to reprise Morpheus was met with silence.
The 63-year-old originated the role of the iconic red-pill mentor in the 1999 sci-fi classic and returned for both 2003 sequels.
Fishburne told the daytime talk show that he made it clear he wanted in on the fourth installment.
“I offered my services to the fourth Matrix and they didn’t respond well to that,” Fishburne said. “So, hey, it’s not like I didn’t say, ‘Oh, I’d like to offer you my services.’ I did. And for whatever reason, that didn’t happen.”
Released in 2021, The Matrix Resurrections brought back Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as Neo and Trinity but introduced Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a reimagined, younger version of Morpheus.
Fishburne only appeared briefly through archival footage. The decision to recast Morpheus raised eyebrows when the film premiered, but Fishburne had mainly remained quiet about his absence until now.
His comments suggest he was willing to return but was left out of the loop.
A fifth Matrix film is already in the works, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer screenwriter Drew Goddard set to write and direct.
Lana Wachowski, who co-created the original trilogy, will be the executive producer.
When asked whether he’d consider returning this time around, Fishburne didn’t rule it out.
“It depends on the circumstances, who’s involved, how well the script has been written, if they offer me… So, you know, we’ll see.”
