the Matrix franchise is filled with bad guys, there's one that stands out as the series' best by far. While he does feature in the Resurrections, the script was forced to include a complex and arguably confusing way to allow for his return alongside Keanu Reeves' Thomas "Neo" Anderson.

The Matrix Resurrections' cast is a blend of old and new faces, as it's set 60 years after the events of the original trilogy. Carrie-Anne Moss was one of the only original actors to return to the franchise alongside Reeves. The movie makes it seem like the original plan was to have other stars reprise their respective roles, but the characters have been reworked to accommodate their being recast. The meta approach to bringing back certain figures didn't really work, and Hugo Weaving's character from the first three movies was the biggest example of such a failure.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II & Jonathon Groff Both Played Versions Of Agent Smith In The Matrix Resurrections

Hugo Weaving was a difficult man to replace

Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith is an incredibly iconic sci-fi villain, with the Wachowskis creating the character as Neo's arch-nemesis. Unfortunately, Weaving didn't come back for Resurrections, but that didn't stop Smith from making an appearance. The most direct portrayal of the villain was achieved by Jonathon Groff stepping into the role. It was a sudden recasting that's never really sufficiently explained within the movie, but it's at least straightforward in of it being an actor being swapped out. However, Groff doesn't shoulder the responsibility of replacing Weaving alone.

Yahya Abdul-Mateen II's character, although referred to as Morpheus in Resurrections, isn't actually playing Laurence Fishburne's character from the original trilogy. Instead, he's a program, created by Neo, with Reeves' character subconsciously combining various elements of both Morpheus and Agent Smith. This goes some way to explaining why Morpheus in Resurrections has such a different demeanor to his flesh-and-blood counterpart in the original trilogy. This is a slightly more subtle way of writing Smith back into the story, but it also ends up being a little inconsequential.

How The Analyst Was Also A Replacement For Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith

Neil Patrick Harris took up the main villain role in The Matrix Resurrections

Smith loomed large as the primary bad guy in the first three Matrix movies, so it would have made sense for him to also fill the same role in Resurrections. The lack of the character's presence in his original form may have influenced the 2021 sequel's decision to find a new antagonist, which could have been what opened the door for Neil Patrick Harris to debut as the Analyst. His faceoff with Neo brought to mind the dynamic between Reeves' and Weaving's respective characters from the franchise's heyday, proving the Analyst was actually a solid replacement for Agent Smith.

While it could be argued that the Analyst is more of a replacement for the Architect, Harris' character is much more actively involved in the plot than his predecessor.

As great as Harris was in Resurrections, his presence was arguably unnecessary. Given the movie was quite nostalgically charged, it would have made more sense to bring back Lambert Wilson as the Merovingian as Neo's primary enemy.confirmation of The Matrix 5 means Wilson's return remains a possibility.

Why Hugo Weaving Didn't Return As Agent Smith In The Matrix Resurrections

Lana Wachowski's filming schedule wasn't flexible enough to accommodate Weaving's comeback

Speaking with Collider, Hugo Weaving has explained in relative detail why he didn't come back as Agent Smith in Resurrections. In short, it came down to a scheduling conflict. Already committed to a stage production during director Lana Wachowski's desired shooting window, Weaving was unavailable to reprise his iconic sci-fi villain role. Although negotiations did begin to allow Weaving's return, the actor ultimately confirmed that "Lana decided that she didn't wanna change her dates."

Despite being recast, the Matrix movies tend to have a fairly fluid view of their characters' physical appearances, so there's not really a solid reason why Hugo Weaving can't reclaim his role from Jonathon Groff.

During the interview, Weaving spoke fondly of his time making The Matrix and its next two sequels. He seems to still have a great affinity for the sci-fi franchise, so it's a huge shame his comeback was prevented by Resurrections' rigid filming schedule. Despite being recast, the Matrix movies tend to have a fairly fluid view of their characters' physical appearances, so there's not really a solid reason why Hugo Weaving can't reclaim his role from Jonathon Groff when the follow-up to The Matrix Resurrections is made.

Source: Collider