Laurence Fishburne Says the ‘Matrix’ Team “Didn’t Respond Well” to Him Offering to Appear in the 2021 Sequel (2025)

Laurence Fishburne wanted to be a part of the fourth film in the Matrix franchise, but the team behind the project wasn’t on the same page.

“I offered my services to the fourth Matrix, and they didn’t respond well to that,” Fishburne said during a Thursday appearance on The View. “It’s not like I didn’t say, ‘I’d like to offer my services.’ I did.”

After being asked if he’d be interested in being a part of the franchise’s upcoming fifth film, the Oscar nominee didn’t entirely write off appearing in the sequel, but he did note that his casting would “depend on the circumstances” surrounding who would be working on the movie behind-the-scenes.

“It depends on who was involved, how well the script has been written,” he told the hosts, adding that his involvement would also be dependent on if they offer him a role after his request to be a part of The Matrix Resurrections was turned down years ago.

He added that “for whatever reason,” his casting in the 2021 sequel “didn’t happen.” Yahya Abdul-Mateen II was instead cast as a different reiteration of Morpheus, a role Fishburne originated in the flagship 1999 movie directed by Lana and Lilly Wachowski.

After appearing in the first three Matrix films, Fishburne told New York Magazine in 2020 that he wasn’t “invited” to reprise his part for the fourth movie. While Abdul-Mateen subsequently stepped into the role, clips of Fishburne’s Morpheus were featured in the film.

Notably, Keanu Reeves has starred in all four of the films. The Wachowskis directed the first three Matrix movies, while Lana Wachowski solely directed The Matrix Resurrections.

“That’s the truth,” Fishburne added of not being cast in The Matrix Resurrections, while also not fully closing the door on his future with the franchise: “We’ll see.”