Laurence Fishburne Says He’d Return to 'The Matrix' If the Script Is Worth It
Laurence Fishburne is open to returning to “The Matrix” series, but under one condition: the script has to be good.
During a panel at New York Comic Con 2025, moderated by podcaster Josh Horowitz and reuniting with the cast from the franchise, the actor shares what would make him reprise his role as Morpheus for the upcoming fifth installment.
“It depends on how good it is, really,” he shared, Variety reported.
“If it’s great, then yeah, if it makes sense. I don’t know if it makes sense.”
The film is currently being developed without its original directors, Lana and Lily Wachowski.
Fishburne recalls reaching out to the Wachowski sisters to reprise his role and star in “The Matrix Resurrections,” but wasn’t asked to return.
“I reached out,” the 64-year-old said.
“It just didn’t pan out. I said, ‘Thank you very much,’ and Lana said, ‘Thank you very much, I’ll think about it,’ and that was that.”
Fishburne and his “Matrix” co-star Joe Pantoliano reflected on the film’s enduring legacy, from their casting to the cultural significance of their characters, Morpheus and Cypher.
When asked how “The Matrix” has continued to shape a new generation of filmmakers, the “Black-ish” star didn’t hold back on its influence across genres.
“There’s no movie that comes after ‘The Matrix’ that’s a sci-fi action or fantasy movie that’s not been influenced by it,” he said.
“It’s everywhere. It’s so pervasive you almost forget where it came from at this point. Now, people don’t realize, but no ‘The Matrix,’ no MCU. It just doesn’t look the same.”
The veteran actor is entering another sci-fi universe, as he’s set to appear in the thriller “The Astronaut,” which was recently acquired by Vertical, according to Deadline.
The film is slated for release this Fall, with Fishburne playing the role of General William Harris.
The synopsis reads “When astronaut Sam Walker (Kate Mara) returns from her first space mission, she’s found miraculously alive in a punctured capsule floating deep off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. General William Harris (Fishburne) arranges for her to be placed under intense NASA surveillance in a high security house for rehabilitation and medical testing. When disturbing occurrences begin happening around the property, she fears that something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth.”
See the trailer below.
