The Matrix 5 has the opportunity to replicate one of the reasons why The Matrix (1999) was so successful, which is something none of the sequels managed to do. Taking many by surprise, The Matrix 5 was announced to be in the works, with Drew Goddard serving as the director. Described only as a new addition to The Matrix’s cinematic canon, the upcoming Matrix movie will have the difficult mission of reigniting the franchise after The Matrix Resurrections’ poor box office performance. Whether Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss will return in The Matrix 5 remains to be announced.
So far, almost every entry in the Matrix franchise has been canon to the movies. In other words, the events of the Animatrix shorts all happened in the same continuity as the films. Morpheus’ death, which was referenced in The Matrix Resurrections, happened in The MatrixOnline game. The Matrix 5 is the first Matrix project in years whose placement in the timeline and canon status aren’t clear from the start, which is actually good news for the project and can help it stand out from previous sequels.
Little to nothing is known about The Matrix 5’s story so far. It is not even clear whether the next Matrix movie will take place in the same continuity as the previous films, or if it will reboot the franchise and start a new story from scratch. Considering how The Matrix Resurrections ended, plus the fourth film’s disappointing box office, it is safe to assume that The Matrix 5 will not be a direct follow-up to the previous installment. Even still, from a sequel to Neo and Trinity’s story to a prequel, the possibilities are endless for The Matrix 5.
Between new iterations of the Matrix simulation and the lies told by the machines, it is virtually impossible to say for how long the Matrix universe as featured in the movies has existed. Therefore, a new Matrix film could take place anywhere in the timeline and have a significant amount of creative freedom even if it is not a reboot. The Matrix 5 could explore, for example, the first version of the simulation described by Agent Smith to Morpheus in the original movie. It could also explore previous versions of the One before Keanu Reeves’ Neo.
Even a sequel set hundreds and hundreds of years after Resurrections could work. Right now, all audiences can do is speculate regarding the direction the Matrix franchise is going – and that is perfect for The Matrix 5. Part of The Matrix’s charm was the mystery surrounding the rules of that world, a trick that the sequels struggled to replicate. If The Matrix 5 manages to keep its story and setting a mystery until the movie releases, it will have replicated what made the original film so special. This would not be an easy task, but it can be done.
The Matrix created an impressive promotional campaign leading up to the release of the film in a pre-social media world. A major tentpole by Warner Bros. starring Keanu Reeves would obviously draw attention, yet no one knew exactly what The Matrix was even about. The Matrix’s marketing campaign benefited from the fact that its main character, Neo, also did not know what the Matrix was. Audiences were able to discover that world alongside Reeves’ character, and none of the trailers or other promotional material spoiled what “The Matrix” meant.
The Matrix took the world by storm with its groundbreaking visuals and spectacular action scenes, but much of the original film’s legacy comes from the mysteriousness surrounding the concept of “the Matrix.” It is only several minutes into the movie that Neo and the audience learn what the Matrix is thanks to Morpheus in a scene that would define not only the first movie but the franchise as a whole. With the rules of that world established, the Matrix franchise would then continue to tell its story across two immediate sequels and a legacy one.
As soon as Morpheus explained what the Matrix meant and Neo woke up in the real world, it became impossible for the franchise to recapture the original movie’s mystery. Moviegoers all over the world were now aware of what the Matrix was and knew what to expect from the sequels. Of course, while it was difficult to predict what the story of The Matrix Reloaded or The Matrix Revolutions was going to be, most of the major characters and factions had already been established. Neo was The One, and humanity was in a war against the machines.
Not only did the Matrix sequels fail at recreating the unique atmosphere of the first film, but they also removed some of the elements that made it so special in the first place. Although Reloaded and Revolutions featured some rich worldbuilding, they provided way too many answers for questions that did not even need to be addressed. What was once a perfect standalone movie became a flawed franchise with plot holes and confusing rules, which explains why none of the subsequent Matrix movies were as impactful as the first one.
Although it is very difficult to replicate the marketing campaign of a pre-social media movie, The Matrix 5 should hide its story as much as possible. The theories and speculation regarding what the film will be about can be The Matrix 5’s biggest hook, allowing it to separate itself from previous installments while keeping audiences interested in what the movie will deliver. Whereas The Matrix Resurrections was clearly about the returns of Neo and Trinity in a new version of the simulation, The Matrix 5 could hide its timeline placement and main premise until the release of the film.
Naturally, every movie needs some sort of promotion, but that does not mean The Matrix cannot keep important story elements a secret until it releases in theaters. Characters and locations can be revealed without spoiling what The Matrix 5 really is about. For example, little is known about Alien: Romulus’ story other than the film’s premise, and its placement in the Alien timeline was only recently revealed. Lastly, a creative, spoiler-free viral marketing campaign for The Matrix 5 could lead to a strong opening weekend and help the franchise bounce back after The Matrix Resurrections’ box office failure.