Veteran actor Laurence Fishburne has hinted that he would consider reprising his iconic role as Morpheus should a fifth installment of The Matrix be proposed, saying he “just can’t ignore it” if the offer comes his way.
In a recent interview with Metro UK, Fishburne reflected on the legacy of the 1999 science-fiction classic and the character that helped define his career. “The Matrix [is] for a lot of people… younger than myself… everything that Star Trek or Star Wars was for my generation,” he said. “It was very much the realization of a kind of dream for me — to be in a science-fiction piece that people love, playing a character who is for a lot of people very iconic.”
Fishburne, now starring as the vampire Regis in The Witcher Season 4, compared Morpheus to other legendary screen figures such as Darth Vader. “It was like I got to fulfill a certain kind of ambition, portraying a character that meant something — and would mean something for audiences for a very long time,” he said.
When asked about rumors of a possible fifth Matrix film, Fishburne maintained he had heard nothing official. “I have no idea about any of it. I’m just minding my business and going about my life,” he explained, before adding, “Should I be offered anything, I have to consider it. I just can’t ignore it.”
The actor’s comments have reignited speculation about whether he could return to the cyber-reality franchise that made him an international star. Fishburne was notably absent from 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections, where a younger version of Morpheus was played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Speaking separately on The View, Fishburne discussed his recent embrace of fantasy storytelling, particularly his involvement in The Witcher. He praised the series for its inclusivity and strong female characters: “It has people every color of the rainbow … and the women characters are all empowered, in charge, kicking butts and taking names,” he said.
Drawing on his own upbringing, he reflected on how his mother and civil-rights leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks influenced his view of representation. “I basically recognized with acting that I could be anything. And if I could be anything, that meant everybody else could be anything,” he said.
Now, more than 25 years after first stepping into Morpheus’s long black coat, Fishburne remains philosophical about legacy and opportunity — suggesting that while he has moved into new creative worlds, the door to The Matrix remains slightly ajar.
