Laurence Fishburne Opens Up About Being Shut Out of" "Matrix Resurrections"

The 63-year-old star, who played the cool, cryptic, and endlessly quotable Morpheus when he first appeared in 1999 'The Matrix,' spoke on The View recently about why he wasn't 'The Matrix Resurrections,' the fourth installment in the mind-bending sci-fi franchise.

"Put meme up for the fourth Matrix, and they didn't like me," Fishburne said, his tone no damn nonsense, clear but calm. "o, you know, it not like I said, "hi, I'd like to offer you my services." I did. And for whatever reason, that didn't it."
Fishburne didn't describe the digital dreamworld, but he leaned forward, hand outstretched, eager to plug back in. But it seems the powers that be weren't interested in a round two for Morpheus 11.0's trench coat-wearing, reality-questioning philosophy.

To longtime fans of the franchise, Fishburne is Morpheus. His performance in the original film and its 2003 sequels, Reloaded and Revolutions, ground the series with gravitas and heart. He wasn't Neo's mentor but an emblem of faith, rebellion, and gentle strength.

So why leave him out of Resurrections? That question has hung over the film since it was released in theaters in 2021. The character of Morpheus was, technically, included, but in an alternate, younger human incarnation, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. Even though the new version put a new spin on the role, Fishburne's absence was conspicuous, like trying to remix a classic without the original hook.

Fishburne's mouth adds another layer. It wasn't just a scheduling issue or a lack of interest. This was an outstretched hand and silence in response.

Even so, true to the Fishburne way, his delivery has no bitterness; it is only truth. It's just a simple, human reflection from a fella who helped create one of our era's most influential sci-fi stories.

Perhaps the Matrix was not so kind to him. Maybe that's just the way the reboot cookie crumbles. Either way, Fishburne's legacy as Morpheus is untouchable. That impact cannot be erased in any alternate timeline or via recasting.

While he may not have entered the construct again this time, he's still a massive part of what creates the resonance of the Matrix universe for both old and new fans alike. If anything, his absence from Resurrections only emphasized how integral he was to the story.