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Laurence Fishburne Says He’s Not Coming Back For The Matrix 4

August 18, 2020 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
The Matrix Morpheus Laurence Fishburne

A few core characters are coming back for The Matrix 4, but don’t expect to count Morpheus among them. Laurence Fishburne, who played the character in the first three Matrix films, has confirmed in an interview with New York Magazine that he will not be appearing in the upcoming fourth film alongside Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss.

“No. I have not been invited,” Fishburne said (per Syfy Wire) when he was asked about the film after discussing how he wrote Riff Raff after Samuel L. Jackson replaced him in Die Hard With a Vengeance. “Maybe that will make me write another play. I wish them well. I hope it’s great.”

Fishburne added that he appreciates his legacy being tied to the film, noting, “It is probably the role that I’ll be best remembered for, which is great; it’s not the only thing I’ll be remembered for, which is better. What I get with him is I’ve got Darth Vader in this hand, and I’ve got Obi-Wan in that hand. I’ve got Bruce Lee, I’ve got Muhammad Ali shuffled in there, and I’ve got kung fu.”

Reeves and Moss are joined by Jada Pinkett Smith, Neil Patrick Harris, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Priyanka Chopra, and Brian J. Smith in the fourth film, which is being directed by Lana Wachowski from a script she co-wrote with Aleksandar Hemon and David Mitchell. It is currently set for release on April 1st, 2022.