Very little is known about what exactly is going to happen in The Matrix 4 but now we know one of its new stars.
Variety reports that the very busy Yahya Abdul-Mateen II—who played Black Manta in Aquaman and Adelaide’s father in Us, and will soon be seen in HBO’s Watchman and as the new Candyman—has just landed a lead role in the sequel. Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne-Moss were previously reported to return while original trilogy co-creator, Lana Wachowski, is co-writing and directing.
According to the trade, there’s no word on which role Abdul-Mateen will be playing, though there was some talk of a young Morpheus role potentially being part of the film. It could be that or he could be a brand new Agent, a new version of the Architect, a new member of Neo and Trinity’s crew—anything is possible really, especially in this universe. All that’s being reported is it’s a “lead role” and Wachowski had been meeting with actors for a few weeks before honing in on Abdul-Mateen.
No matter what the role though, he’s an absolutely excellent choice. Simply looking at that list of noteworthy performances in the last year, and the upcoming year, shows his incredible range. Abdul-Mateen can stand up to Jason Momoa in terms of charisma and presence, or be as menacing as Tony Todd as a horror icon, and it seems he’s getting more in-demand as the days go by.
The Matrix 4, which almost certainly won’t be the title, is expected to start filming in early 2020. That could mean a 2021 or 2022 release, depending on what kind of new visuals Wachowksi has in store for audiences this time.
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