The latest teaser clip of the hotly anticipated The Matrix Resurrections has a double dose of Morpheus as Laurence Fishburne’s portrayal of the character makes an appearance and his notable absence in the latest film is explained. Sort of.
In the roughly one minute of new footage dropped during The Game Awards on Thursday night, Keanu Reeves’ Neo is told by Bugs (Jessica Henwick) that to enter and exit the Matrix there is no need for landlines any longer; instead, hackers use portals.
Neo is led into a room where he is met by another version of Morpheus, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, but on the walls are projections of Fishburne’s Morpheus in a key scene from the first film where Neo is told what the Matrix is. “It’s all about set and setting,” says Abdul-Mateen’s Morpheus, hoping to reassure Neo.
Bugs explains that after their first meeting with Neo went badly, they figured elements from his past, such as images of Fishburne’s Morpheus, might help him ease into the present. “Nothing comforts anxiety like a little nostalgia,” adds Abdul-Mateen’s Morpheus.
Fishburne played Morpheus in the first three Matrix films, portraying an older mentor who first frees Neo from the Matrix and then teaches him to believe he is the One in humanity’s fight against the machines. Abdul-Mateen was cast as an alternate version of Morpheus.
The Matrix Resurrections hits theaters and HBO Max on Dec. 22.
THR Newsletters
Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day
