Will Laurence Fishburne Return to The Matrix? He Finally Addresses It

Morpheus might be stepping back into the simulation... maybe. Laurence Fishburne popped up at New York Comic Con 2025 and basically said he is open to The Matrix 5, but only if the movie actually earns it. Sensible. Non-committal. Classic.

Fishburne on coming back

"It depends on how good it is, really. If it is great, then yeah, if it makes sense." He added, "I do not know if it makes sense."

That is one of those answers that says a lot without promising anything: he is not chasing nostalgia, he is waiting to see if the new take actually justifies itself.

Where Matrix 5 stands

• Warner Bros. said in April 2024 that The Matrix 5 is officially in development.
• Drew Goddard is writing and directing this new installment.
• Fishburne made his comments during The Matrix reunion panel at NYCC 2025, hosted by Josh Horowitz, with Joe Pantoliano also on stage.

How he sees the franchise now

Fishburne was pretty blunt about the original trilogy's footprint. In his view, if you look at sci-fi action or fantasy after 1999, it all bears The Matrix's fingerprints. The influence is so baked-in that people forget where it started. He even went further and said the MCU would not look the same without The Matrix paving the way. You can argue degrees, but the ripple effect is real.

Why he was not in The Matrix Resurrections

Fishburne also addressed sitting out the 2021 film. He said he reached out to Lana Wachowski about returning as Morpheus and it simply did not come together. His version: he checked in, said thanks, Lana said thanks and she would think about it, and that was the end of it. No drama, just a missed connection.

The read

Between Goddard's new pitch and Fishburne's 'only if it makes sense' stance, the door is cracked open but not wide. If the script clears a high bar, do not be shocked if we see the real Morpheus again. If not, well, The Matrix has already rewritten the genre once. It does not need to do it twice to prove the point.