Early last year, Warner Bros. set in motion a new Matrix movie, the fifth, to be written and directed by Drew Goddard with Lana Wachowski as exec-producer. It’s been unclear ever since whether this is a true sequel or some kind of reboot. While that remains a mystery, Will Smith has clouded things further with a new Instagram post teasing a role…as Neo?
Smith’s post is captioned, “In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time But the question remains: What would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo?”
That was followed by, “Wake up, Will…The Matrix has you…”
Now, I don’t necessarily think Smith is saying that he’s set to play Neo in a reboot of The Matrix. But maybe he’s finally joining the franchise after initially turning it down? That seems more likely.
Imagine the different trajectory of Smith’s career if he had accepted the Wachowskis’ offer? He might not have starred in Ali, Men in Black, or Bad Boys II, all films that happened during the initial Matrix trilogy.
We’ll find out soon enough what’s going on. Smith last starred in Bad Boys: Ride or Die. He recently signed on to star in Fast & Loose, a reunion with director Michael Bay. He also has the sci-fi film Resistor later down the line.
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