Laurence Fishburne Tried to Return for THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS but Was Met with Silence

It turns out they original Matrix star Laurence Fishburne wanted to reprise his role as Morpheus in 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections, and he actually reached out to let the creative team know he was interested.

During a recent appearance on The View (via The Hollywood Reporter), Fishburne revealed: "I offered my services to the fourth Matrix, and they didn’t respond well to that."

He clarified further, saying: "It’s not like I didn’t say, 'I'd like to offer my services.' I did."

The director and producers obviously weren’t interested. Instead of bringing Fishburne back as the iconic Morpheus, Resurrections handed the character off to Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, playing a reimagined version in a very meta-heavy take on the franchise.

Meanwhile, legacy stars like Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprised their roles, and it’s a shame that Fishburne wasn’t able to join them.

With a fifth Matrix film currently in development, this one helmed by The Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard, Fishburne’s staying open-minded.

"It depends on who was involved, how well the script has been written," he said when asked about potentially returning.

Goddard’s new take is said to bring “a unique perspective based on his own love of the series and characters,” and is being framed as an “incredible way to continue the Matrix world.”

We’ll just have to wait and see if there’s a future of Fishburne’s Morpheus in the movie.