Laurence Fishburne Discusses Possible Return to “The Matrix 5” and the Franchise’s Impact on Contemporary Cinema

The actor who portrayed Morpheus in the original Matrix trilogy has not ruled out returning to his iconic role.

Laurence Fishburne discussed the possibility of reprising Morpheus in Matrix 5. Speaking at Comic Con 2025 in New York, the actor said he would consider appearing in a new installment of the franchise — but only under certain conditions.

Those remarks came about a year and a half after Warner Bros. officially announced the fifth Matrix installment. In April 2024 the studio revealed that Drew Goddard would serve as writer and director of the project (cited with “The Martian”) and that the Wachowskis are not participating in the film.

Fishburne was long one of the defining faces of the original trilogy, but he did not appear in the fourth film — The Matrix: Resurrections. He said at the festival that he personally reached out to Lana Wachowski about returning, and was told only, “I’ll think about it.” According to the actor, the conversation never progressed after that, and the younger Morpheus was portrayed by Yahya Abdul‑Mateen II.

During an interview hosted by journalist Josh Horowitz, Fishburne and his co-star Joe Pantoliano also reflected on The Matrix’s impact on the film industry.

“There isn’t a single film since The Matrix — be it sci‑fi action or fantasy — that hasn’t been influenced by it,” the actor observed. He added that even the Marvel universe “would look different” without the cult trilogy’s influence.

Details about Matrix 5 remain scarce for now, but the project appears to be in development. Warner Bros. has not announced its cancellation.

Source: iXBT.games