The Matrix 5has been confirmed, but very few details about the film’s plot have been revealed yet. It’s unclear whether a story has been written, or even if an idea exists, but the project will surely be another inventive and subversive take on the franchise in the same vein asThe Matrix: Resurrections. While this is exciting news, it will also be difficult for this sequel to live up to the heights of the movies that came before it. Aftereverything that went wrong withThe Matrix: Resurrections, the next film has lots of work to do.
WhetherThe Matrix 5opts to be another sequel, a new prequel, or even a spinoff, it can’t veer too far away from the existing formulaif it wants to appease returning fans of the franchise. This is one mistake that the fourth installment made, trying so hard to be different and fresh that it ended up being slightly too unfamiliar. Instead,The Matrix 5should capitalize on the plot holesand lingering questions from the previous movies, providing these answers through familiar storytelling and returning faces.
Matrix 5 Will Struggle To Have A Villain As Good As Agent Smith
Hugo Weaving’s Antagonist Won’t Be Easily Replaced
There are many greatcharacters inThe Matrixmovies, but none of them have a presence quite as irreplaceable as Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith. His villain is among the many great aspects of the Wachowskis' original trilogy, with the ongoing conflict between Keanu Reeves' Neo and Agent Smith enabling some of the series' most interesting and astute dialogues about faith, purpose, and the human condition. The way his character evolves from an extremely generic component of the Matrix into a complex, thinking being with his own ideals is fascinating to watch, and the series wouldn’t be complete without it.
10 Best Characters From The Matrix Franchise
From the messianic Neo to the nefarious Agent Smith, the Wachowskis created some of the most iconic characters in movie history for The Matrix films.
However, it’s unlikely that Agent Smith will be making a return inThe Matrix 5. He’s technically been present in every movie so far (portrayed by Jonathan Groff inThe Matrix: Resurrections),but it certainly feels like the franchise needs to go in a new direction if it wants to remain interesting. This could mean a prequel, or even some kind of spinoff, buta fifth “Neo vs Smith” narrative doesn’t sound as compelling as it should.On the other hand, it is virtually impossible forThe Matrix 5to come up with a villain as charismatic and compelling as the original Smith.
Matrix 4 Proved How Important Hugo Weaving’s Smith Is To The Franchise
Smith’s Absence Was Clearly Felt In The Matrix: Resurrections
Without Weaving’s iconic villain, it’s difficult to imagineThe Matrix 5living up to the immense expectations that will inevitably be placed upon it. As entertaining as Groff is inThe Matrix: Resurrections,his iteration of Agent Smith simply isn’t as engaging, and it is hard to understand why he wasn’t simply introduced as a new character. IfThe Matrix 5doesn’t bring Hugo Weaving back, they’ll need a totally fresh and original villain to keep things interesting; another recast shouldn’t be in the cards.
The Matrix 5
The Matrix 5: The latest installment in The Matrix series continues the saga of Neo and his allies as they navigate a complex dystopian world. Tasked with a monumental mission, they confront new challenges that question the fabric of reality and humanity’s place within it.
