Matrix Resurrections Star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Reveals Whether He's Playing the Real Morpheus

One of the best things about the Matrix Resurrections trailer was that it was finally confirmed that Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is playing a younger version of Morpheus. But is this the real Morpheus? Abdul-Mateen has addressed the speculations that his character might not be who he seems.

Abdul-Mateen's casting was a big deal for fans and immediately led to speculations that he will play a young version of Laurence Fishburne's character. However, this was only confirmed when the teaser for Matrix 4 was released in September.

So is this really Morpheus or just someone who looks and acts like him? Abdul-Mateen recently spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the film and he somehow revealed that this isn't the same Morpheus at all.

"I play a character who's definitely aware of the history of the Matrix [and] the history of Morpheus," Abdul-Mateen said. "This character is on a journey of self-discovery. There's a lot in our story that's about growth, defining your own path. Morpheus isn't exempt from that."

He further pointed out that Fishburne's performance in the previous movies gave him the opportunity to work on something new for the franchise.

"Laurence already did what had to be done," Abdul-Mateen said. "I think what the script provided was a new narrative and some new opportunities that did make room within the Matrix universe for a new Morpheus."

This is an interesting revelation considering that only Morpheus has been recast and the two other main characters are being played by the same actors. For now, it's unclear why Morpheus is different in Matrix 4 but we're hoping that we'll learn more in the next few weeks.

The Matrix Resurrections is directed by Lana Wachowski and will also star Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Eréndira Ibarra, Max Riemelt, Toby Onwumere, Brian J. Smith, Andrew Caldwell, and Ellen Hollman. The film is scheduled for release on December 18, 2021.

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