'The Matrix 5' Looks to Phase Out Original Cast

3 days ago 6

Neo (Keanu Reeves) with a raised hand, stopping bullets with his mind in 'The Matrix Reloaded'.

Published Mar 20, 2026, 10:34 AM EDT

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It has been a long time since The Matrix felt like a series with a clear future. After The Matrix Resurrections brought Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss back in 2021, the big question was always whether the franchise would keep building on that story or start moving away from it. Now there is finally another real update on The Matrix 5, and while Drew Goddard did not say much, what he did not say may be the biggest clue of all.

Speaking to Variety while promoting Project Hail Mary, Goddard said the movie is still in the writing stage and made it clear that he is still trying to figure out the best version of the story. “I can’t say too much, because we’re still in the stage of writing it. I need to give myself space to find the best story,” he explained.

What stands out more is what happened when he was asked whether Reeves and the original cast will return. Goddard’s answer was simple: “I can’t speak to that.” It is not a confirmation either way, but it is a pretty telling dodge for a franchise that has been so closely tied to Neo and Trinity for more than two decades.

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Goddard also made it clear that he is approaching the project with a lot of reverence for what Lana and Lilly Wachowski built.

“I love what Lana and Lilly Wachowski did with those movies. They mean so much to me and I feel like they’ve had a profound impact on my creative voice. I take this responsibility very seriously. I feel the weight of wanting to do right by the fans, wanting to do right by the creators and wanting to do right for myself as a fan.

When asked why The Matrix Resurrections did not connect more strongly at the box office, Goddard was also careful, saying the film “certainly resonated” with him and calling it perhaps “the most emotional” of the four, while noting that it was released during the COVID period and at a time when Warner Bros. was sending everything to streaming

Stay tuned to Collider for all the latest updates on The Matrix 5.