earlier today, Will Smith took to Instagram to casually share some news with her nearly 70 million followers. The reel, which you can see below, recaps the notorious decision in the superstar's career in 1997 to choose Wild Wild West done The Matrix. “What to do? The Matrix did Will Smith look like Neo?”, the post asked, then added “Wake up, Will… the Matrix has you…”
Without a caption or context—most people already know that Smith refused The Matrixwhich became a genre-defining blockbuster, and can also be remembered with a laugh as to how Wild Wild West ended up outside—the post immediately ignited speculation across the internet.
The most obvious response is to show Will Smith a new one Matrix movie—and such a project is actually being made. According to news that came out last yearDrew Goddard (The Martian, The Cabin in the Woods) is writing and directing the fifth Matrix film, with series co-creator Lana Wachowski as executive producer. At the time, no casting or story details were shared, and that's still the case—and that includes anything to do with Smith's involvement.
After his Instagram post went viral, io9 reached out to Warner Bros., but the company—which owns The Matrix—didn't know what Smith was talking about. A similar “uh, no” reaction came from Hollywood Reporter film editor Aaron Crouch, who tweeted through his personal X account that “Will Smith is not starring in the new Matrix movie.”
Another trade, Variousdoubled down on that by actually running an article about Smith's post under the headline “Will Smith Isn't Starring in New Matrix Movie, So What Neo-Related Project Is He Teasing?” While some on the internet have speculated that it could be tied to a Super Bowl commercial—the game is February 9, so the time is ripe to start dropping clues—the publication's theory has it's at Smith's others career: “It seems more likely that his cyberpunk-related venture will involve music, as Smith has teased that he's preparing to drop his first album in 20 years.”
Smith, who won the Oscar for 2021's King Richard—an honor forever associated with one of the strangest moments in Oscar telecast history—most recently starred Bad Boys: Ride or Diehis fourth Bad Boys buddy-cop movie opposite Martin Lawrence.
What is your opinion on Smith's Neo reclamation? Do you think new music is coming, or something else?
Want more io9 news? See when to expect the latest Amazing, Star Warsand Star Trek release, what's next for DC Universe in film and TVand everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
