From prophesied saviors to sentient computer programs, The Matrix movies further down the line could have been incredibly rewarding.

The confirmation of The Matrix 5 means the saga still isn't over. Unfortunately, the chance for one really interesting character to return has long gone.

Ian Bliss As Bane Did An Incredible Job As Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith In The Matrix Revolutions

Bliss was tasked with the difficult job of stepping into Weaving's shoes (with Weaving in the same movie)

Although initially cast as Bane in 2003's The Matrix Reloaded, Ian Bliss' presence in the franchise's first sequel turned out to be much more than it seemed. Eventually, Bliss became the Real World vessel for Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith, meaning the nemesis of Keanu Reeves' Thomas "Neo" Anderson was able to interact directly with reality outside the Matrix. Bliss' impersonation of Hugo Weaving playing Agent Smith is an incredibly underrated performance and is easily one of the best facets of the original trilogy's final installment, The Matrix Revolutions.

Bliss perfectly imitates the body language, movement, voice, and cadence of Hugo Weaving's performance as Agent Smith.

Bliss perfectly imitates the body language, movement, voice, and cadence of Hugo Weaving's performance as Agent Smith. Of course, the two actors' physical resemblance to one another certainly aids in creating the illusion, but it only really comes together because of Bliss' role in it all. The Matrix Revolutions made the disappointing decision to take the story almost entirely into the Real World. As such, Weaving's screen time is severely reduced when held up against the previous two movies. Therefore, Bliss' Agent Smith strangely becomes more prominent for large stretches of Revolutions.

Bliss' shift from Bane to Smith is one of the shining lights of The Matrix Revolutions. As easily the lowest-rated The Matrix movie on Rotten Tomatoes, it's not unreasonable to say the film would be ed even more poorly than it already is if it hadn't been for Bliss' fascinatingly accurate emulation of Weaving's iconic sci-fi villain, and taking the character to new places.

Bliss' Perfect Weaving Impression Created A Weird Neo Problem

Watching Neo struggle to identify Bane as Smith is frustratingly awkward

Neo's naivety in 1999's The Matrix is understandable, as he's only just been pulled from the Matrix and thrust into the macabre reality of the Real World. So, it would be easy for someone to deceive him. Luckily, he's surrounded by individuals who view Reeves' character as a kind of digital messiah, and they guide him through his new existence. Although only six months between The Matrix and the next two movies, Neo is far more experienced, and he should really notice Bane's drastic personality change, and who he has become.

Revolutions takes things a little too far by having Bliss' Smith address Neo as "Mr. Anderson," in exactly the same way as Weaving's version of the character would do.

Although Bane's body language and voice may have been understandably difficult to interpret as a threat, Revolutions takes things a little too far by having Bliss' Smith address Neo as "Mr. Anderson," in exactly the same way as Weaving's version of the character would do. Neo just staring blankly and being unable to work out what is happening hurts his character, and makes him look every inch the newcomer he was in The Matrix. Smith is the only character who calls Neo by that particular title, so it should have been the final step to Neo noticing what had happened.

Bliss' Agent Smith Performance Wouldn't Have Been Possible Without Weaving's Strong Character Work

The original Agent Smith remains the best

Ian Bliss' flawless Hugo Weaving impression deserves far more praise than it generally gets, but he wouldn't have been able to offer such a brilliant performance had it not been for Agent Smith's original actor laying just strong groundwork. Weaving's various quirks and signature line readings gave Bliss a huge amount to latch onto. Although The Matrix isn't a franchise that's particularly known for its big, zany performances, Weaving found a brilliant way to strike a balance between borderline irreverence and the series' dark tone.

Another actor originating the role of Agent Smith may simply have been swept up in the serious nature of the saga, resulting in a far less recognizable portrayal of the infamous sci-fi villain. If so, then the twist of Smith entering the Real World and inhabiting a human body may not have happened at all, or it might not have been anywhere near as effective if it did still take place. In that particular circumstance, the combination of actors sharing the role of Agent Smith wouldn't have needed to be quite so precise.

The Matrix Wasted Agent Smith In Human Form

Bliss' version of the character should have been explored much more thoroughly

Smith making the jump to the Real World was a brilliant concept that held a lot of promise. Not only was Bliss' Smith the only version isolated from the rapidly building horde of Smiths inside the Matrix, but he was also the only iteration who could die and then be gone forever. Unfortunately, his death is exactly what happened, and Bliss' exit from the franchise came far too soon after his debut. For a series that generally explores all of its original concepts to the Nth degree, the limited use of a human Agent Smith seems like a massive oversight.

Bliss' Smith could still have returned to the digital world at any point - albeit on a much more temporary basis.

Despite being in a human body, Bane's form still had the mechanical infrastructure to jack into the Matrix, so Bliss' Smith could still have returned to the digital world at any point - albeit on a much more temporary basis. If he spent enough time around humans in the Real World, it's even possible the human Smith could have experienced a kind of soft redemption arc. Having said that, his hatred of humanity was perhaps a little too severe to allow for a complete turnaround.

Not killing Bliss' character in Revolutions could also have been a brilliant way to solve the issue Weaving's absence from 2021's The Matrix Resurrections. Although the script would have had to give Bane's body the same treatment as Neo and Trinity to for the 60-year time-jump, Bliss could have returned as Smith rather than giving the role to Jonathon Groff - who had never been previously associated with the character. Even if Weaving had returned, Bliss could have played Smith in the Real World, and Weaving could have been Smith's Digital Self Image in The Matrix's 2021 sequel.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes