Will Smith Confirms What Those Matrix Teases Were About (Fans Should Be Excited)

Will Smith has finally revealed what all of those cryptic Matrix teases were about, confirming a music collaboration with rapper Big Sean. On his official Instagram page, Smith shared a promotional image for the music video for the upcoming single “Beautiful Scars,” which will be publicly released on January 30th. The post’s photo features Smith and Big Sean standing together, dressed as Matrix characters. Smith, of course, is supposed to be Neo (a reference to him turning down the role when The Matrix was being developed). Big Sean appears to be portraying Morpheus, with his costume featuring the character’s iconic sunglasses and shirt and tie.

In the comments section of the Instagram post, Chance the Rapper bemoaned missing out on the project. He wrote, “I coulda been Tank” twice — once in all caps emphasized with the talking head emoji, the other instance punctuated with a sad face emoji. Tank is part of Morpheus’ crew on the Nebuchadnezzar in the first Matrix movie. Check out Smith’s post in the space below:

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Smith has been slowly teasing a Matrix-related project throughout the month. Initially, some theorized he was hinting that he had been cast in a new Matrix movie, but it was quickly confirmed Smith is not involved in the in-development Matrix 5 (written and directed by Drew Goddard). Just earlier this week, Smith shared a collection of behind-the-scenes videos and photos, showcasing how iconic Matrix moments will be recreated in the music video. The video will debut at a special premiere event taking place at movie theaters in a handful of major U.S. markets.

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Smith’s fans are well aware that prior to establishing himself as an actor, he was famous for his exploits in the music industry. Smith rose to prominence in the ’80s as a hip-hop duo with DJ Jazzy Jeff before going solo. In his musical career, Smith has been nominated for eight Grammys, winning four. Last year, he performed a new song, “You Can Make It,” at the BET Awards.

The prospect of a Matrix-inspired music video is certainly exciting. Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s film is still considered one of the most revolutionary visual spectacles in Hollywood history, so the music video should boast some cinematic qualities. Based on the behind-the-scenes teases Smith has revealed, he’s putting his spin on at least the dojo fight, the lobby shootout, and Neo dodging bullets — some of the movie’s most legendary sequences. As intriguing as this is, it does run the risk of coming across as gimmicky, but Smith likely understood the magnitude of this endeavor and took the steps necessary to ensure this was something special. That he’s debuting the music video on the big screen suggests he’s very proud of it.

Big Sean portraying Morpheus is a fun twist, and it will be interesting to that plays out in both the video and the song. In The Matrix, Morpheus is a mentor to Neo, helping him understand his place in the world. Perhaps “Beautiful Scars” will do a riff on that dynamic, with Big Sean guiding Smith through a difficult time. The title of the song suggests Smith will be in a reflective mood, perhaps looking back on missed opportunities that still haunt him. Given his talent in both music and film, “Beautiful Scars” should be a great tune with a memorable music video.