The legendary actor revealed on The View that his offer to reprise Morpheus was met with silence.
The 63-year-old originated the role of the iconic red-pill mentor in the 1999 sci-fi classic and returned for both 2003 sequels. Fishburne told the daytime talk show that he made it clear he wanted in on the fourth installment. Released in 2021, The Matrix Resurrections brought back Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as Neo and Trinity but introduced Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as a reimagined, younger version of Morpheus.
Fishburne only appeared briefly through archival footage. The decision to recast Morpheus raised eyebrows when the film premiered, but Fishburne had mainly remained quiet about his absence until now. A fifth Matrix film is already in the works, with Buffy the Vampire Slayer screenwriter Drew Goddard set to write and direct.