Hugo Weaving Addresses If He Will Be in the New Matrix Film

Director Lana Wachowski is taking sci-fi fans back into the world of The Matrix in just a couple of years, bringing to life the first film in the franchise since 2003. Matrix 4 will bring back some key cast members from the first three films while adding a few new faces to the mix, acting as both a sequel to the original trilogy and a reboot of the franchise. That means characters like Neo and Trinity will have a role in the upcoming film, and a younger version of Morpheus is also rumored to play a part in the story. But what about Agent Smith?

Hugo Weaving starred in all three Matrix movies as Agent Smith, and folks have wondered if he would be reprising the role in the new sequel. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to the case. During an interview with Time Out, Weaving confirmed that he wouldn’t be taking part in Matrix 4.

“I’m not, no,” Weaving said.

With Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith returning to the franchise for this new installment, fans had been hoping to see the majority of the cast reunite on screen in the film. Sadly, that won’t include Weaving, thanks to what appears to be a conflict in scheduling. He explained that he thought he had a window of time to participate in The Matrix 4 and his new stage play, The Visit, but things ultimately didn’t work out.

“The Matrix is a very different story. It’s unfortunate but actually I had this offer [for The Visit] and then the offer came from The Matrix, so I knew it was happening but I didn’t have dates. I thought [I] could do both and it took eight weeks to work out that the dates would work – I held off on accepting [a role in The Visit during that time]. I was in touch with [director] Lana Wachowski, but in the end she decided that the dates weren’t going to work. So we’d sorted the dates and then she sort of changed her mind. They’re pushing on ahead without me.”

In addition to the returning franchise stars, The Matrix 4 will feature performances from Jessica Henwick, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. The film is set to hit theaters on May 21, 2021.