After previously confirming his role as Morpheus through an Instagram post, Emmy-winning actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II has finally revealed some interesting new details about his mysterious role in Warner Bros. Pictures’ long-awaited The Matrix Resurrections. Speaking with EW, the Candyman star confirmed that he is playing a new version of Morpheus, which is different from franchise alum Laurence Fishburne’s iconic character.
“This is definitely a different iteration of the character,” Abdul-Mateen teased. “I play a character who’s definitely aware of the history of the Matrix [and] the history of Morpheus. This character is on a journey of self-discovery. There’s a lot in our story that’s about growth, defining your own path. Morpheus isn’t exempt from that.”
He continued, “What the viewers will come to understand is that there are many rules of the Matrix. Age, appearance, the things we identify as real, can be manipulated in that world. The Matrix is where anything is possible.”
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The Matrix Resurrections is directed by Lana Wachowski from a screenplay she co-wrote with Aleksander Hemon and David Mitchell. The fourth installment features the return of Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith, reprising their iconic roles as Neo, Trinity, and Niobe. Lambert Wilson and Daniel Bernhardt are also reprising their respective villainous roles of The Merovingian and Agent Johnson.
Joining them are franchise newcomers Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Eréndira Ibarra, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, and Brian J. Smith.
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The three previous films—The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003), and The Matrix Revolutions (2003)—have earned more than $1.6 billion at the global box office and were all top-10 domestic hits in their respective years of release. The Matrix Revolutions was also the first film ever to release simultaneously in every major country at the same hour around the world.
The Matrix Resurrections is scheduled to arrive in theaters and on HBO Max on December 22.