The movie title The Matrix Resurrections speaks volumes, not just about reinvigorating an almost 20-year-old franchise, but also for certain cast members of the upcoming film, who have to give new life to existing characters. 

And one of them is with the new version of Morpheus, famously portrayed by Laurence Fishburne in the original trilogy, but played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in the new sequel.

“A lot of it is about respect and curiosity. You know, Lawrence, he really put his flagpole in this character, Morpheus, and it’s something that people will remember today and that they will remember forever – and I’m not exempt from that,” said Abdul-Mateen II, in an interview along with fellow castmates Jessica Henwick, as new character Bugs, and Priyanka Chopra-Jonas as Sati. 

“I just really approached it with a level of respect and gratitude to be able to walk in those footsteps.”

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Resurrections takes place 60 years after the events of the original and potentially focuses on the characters of Neo and Trinity, who seemingly died at the end of the last movie. With Keanu Reeves returning as Neo/Thomas Anderson and Carrie-Anne Moss riding a motorcycle once again as Trinity, fan expectations for this sequel are high and the pressure is also on Abdul-Mateen II, to honour the past while paving his own way.

Still, the 35-year old actor wants fans to know that his version of Morpheus is rightfully different from Fishburne’s, and that replicating the experience has never been his intention. 

“There was an opportunity to say something new, to say something different, to honor that character, but [still] present a character who was on a journey of self-discovery. That was the biggest gift Lana [Wachoswski] could give me in the writing,” shared Abdul-Mateen II. 

“To present me with a character who had something to discover about himself, that was independent of anything that had been done or had been established for him in the worlds prior.” 

Abdul-Mateen II had nothing but praise for director Wachowski for guiding him and giving him the space to explore the character Morpheus in a way never done before. He just hopes that fans would love and enjoy his portrayal too. 

So what started all three stars in their journey into The Matrix? Like with co-star Neil Patrick Harris, it all began with an email invitation to audition for the role.

Chopra’s character Sati was a minor character in the earlier films, but now plays a bigger role in Resurrections. The 39-year old Indian actress admitted to fangirling when she got the role as she had been a fan of the franchise since she was just 16 years old. 

“Obviously as someone who had watched the movie when I was 16 and seen the effect that it has had on pop culture, it was amazing as an actor to be a part of a project that had the kind of legacy it did,” shared Chopra-Jonas.

“I got an email from my agent saying that there was an opportunity and when I got the material, I did a little digging and research and it would be an amazing opportunity to reprise a character that was so strategically placed in the previous movie, and to have a pivotal part in Neo’s journey. It was just really cool and I kind of fangirled about the opportunity.” 

Echoed Henwick, “Yeah, I also got an email from my agent. But I mean, I think you guys put it really succinctly to add to that I was actually a huge fan of Sense 8, which is Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s previous series on Netflix and I was obsessed with that.” 

“I was so sad when it ended. And I was really curious about meeting the mind behind it. So yeah, it was kind of a no brainer,” explained Henwick, who revealed in earlier interviews that she had to turn down a potential role with Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings to be in Resurrections. 

For Abdul-Mateen II, it was also a chance to work closely with Hollywood legends. 

“This script gave me an opportunity to do something different and gave me an opportunity to differentiate this character from the character that we had known in the past and I was doing that in a pretty fun and exciting way,” explained Abdul-Mateen II.

“And then it was really, you know, the chance to work with Lana, to work opposite Keanu and Carrie-Anne and step into that world with amazing actors and to see what that universe had in store. So all around was a pretty, pretty appealing opportunity you know?” 

The Matrix Resurrections premieres Dec 22, 2021. 

This article was first published in Geek Culture.