So far, anything relating to The Matrix: Resurrections has attracted massive amounts of buzz. The trailer heated things up with various shocking reveals, such as a Neo (Keanu Reeves) reinserted into the Matrix. He's unaware of the past, evidenced by Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss) casually introducing herself instead of immediately embracing him. That development alone will be exciting to see play out since we expect Trinity to jog Neo's memory little by little until he remembers his role as The One.
While Neo rediscovering himself will be a fun, entertaining journey, the one question worth discussing is what happens next? No matter how long the movie's runtime is, with all the new characters, subplots, and Neo/Trinity love story to cover, Resurrections will undoubtedly end on a cliffhanger. There's been no word on whether a fifth installment is in the cards, but odds are one of the world's newest inductees will become an antagonist with a grudge who furthers those goals in a future film. Nevertheless, a fully-resurrected Neo will have work to do in the new Matrix once he's sorted himself out.
It is, however, worth mentioning that Keanu Reeves has yet to disclose whether he'll return for a follow-up installment. Reeves probably anticipates being asked—assuming he hasn't already been—when the movie comes out. Because while the chances of Resurrections flopping are slim, the more reasonable expectation is the fourth chapter will be a hit that leads to chapters 5, 6, and possibly 7. In that scenario, Reeves has to return. He's the seminal figure of the franchise, and it wouldn't be the same without him.
The new characters introduced in Resurrections have the potential to helm the series themselves, except there's no guarantee with them. Reeves is time-tested, and fans know he can keep about any franchise alive. The same is true of Neil Patrick Harris and Jada Pinkett Smith, but we can't say with certainty that audiences will be as receptive to them headlining this series.
Neo's Future
Fortunately, Reeves isn't the type of guy to leave fans hanging. He could have a variety of reasons for departing the Matrix after Resurrections, but the A-list celebrity is too nice of a person. A bystander actually spotted Reeves giving away his seat to a woman on a New York subway, which speaks to his character. He didn't have to, but Reeves possesses this inert kindness. And knowing that the fans are calling for him to reprise his role, he's not likely to disappoint them.
In any scenario where Reeves returns to reprise his role, that begs to ask: what does Neo do next? There's no specific antagonist set to wreak havoc on the world, and the Agents don't have a chance even if they're supercharged versions of their former selves. So, Neo would presumably go back to freeing minds jacked into the system.
Of course, there's a distinct possibility humanity's savior will take the fight directly to the machines. Their mechanical oppressors have been in constant control of the world for decades, and it's about time humans take it back. Revolutions only granted the remaining survivors peace in their underground hideout while the machines maintained dominance topside. For any real victory, humans have to return to the surface. And the only way they'll get there is if Neo eliminates the machine faction in its entirety. Without him, the conflict will conclude just as tragically as Revolutions did. The movie ended with a victory for the humans, although the reality is they still suffered major casualties in that last fight, Zion was almost destroyed, and the survivor's future looked pretty bleak at that point.
With the potential to see Neo (Reeves) returning to the machine city, bringing the fight with him this time, that would make for an epic showdown in a future film. Because it wouldn't be Neo and Trinity in the Nebuchadnezzar making a last stand again. No, they'd be hauling companions who may or may not possess the same dimension-bending abilities Trinity shows off in the trailer. Then again, perhaps only those "resurrected" are capable of manipulating the Matrix to their liking. Neo was only able to stop Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving) in the original movie after he died and came back. The same rule presumably applies to Trinity and anyone else exhibiting superhuman powers.
Whatever unfolds in Matrix: Resurrections, there's still no answer as to the big question. Audiences won't know for a while, either. Even if Reeves slips a sly nod to an interviewer when asked, Warner Bros. probably won't unveil their plans until the company knows how well Resurrections does, so all we can do is wait.
The Matrix: Resurrections releases in theaters on December 22, 2021