What Happened To Morpheus In The Matrix Resurrections?

The official trailer for The Matrix Resurrections recently dropped online, and I'll be damned, it looks excellent. From the usage of the song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Airplane, to the stunning visuals reminiscent of the first film, the fourth addition in The Matrix franchise looks to be a club banger.

Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity respectively. They also welcome newcomers Priyanka Chopra, Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick and Daniel Bernhardt. However, fans of the franchise might notice one key actor missing from the line-up. So, just where in the hell is Lawrence Fishburne?

Long answer short, Lawrence Fishburne claimed in a late 2020 interview with New York Magazine that he was not invited back to reprise his iconic role in The Matrix Resurrections. Instead, Aquaman and Candyman actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will be stepping into the role.

But, why?

Inverse recently pointed to the 2005 video game Matrix Online, where Morpheus was killed shortly after the games release. This theory assumes a lot. Mainly that the online game few have ever heard of is official canon. To be fair, both Animatrix and the Xbox game Enter The Matrix are both considered part of the franchise's canon. So, it's not that far outside the realm of possibility.

Its also possible that Lawrence Fishburne will return in The Matrix Resurrections, but only in the "real world". Meaning that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II will only serve is Morpheus' Matrix avatar. Sure, there is no real proof to back this up, but it just seems odd that the Wachowskis

would cut Fishburne out of the film altogether.

Whatever the case may be, its a fair guess that something catastrophic happened to Morpheus between the The Matrix Revolutions and The Matrix Resurrections. To find out what, we'll have to wait until December 22, 2021 when the film hits theaters worldwide.