"Matrix" fans are still trying to get over the fact that they won't be seeing Laurence Fishburne playing Morpheus in the upcoming "The Matrix Resurrections."
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II ("Candyman"), however, explained why he was casted and also hinted at how "The Matrix 4" will incorporate this new Morpheus into the storyline.
"This is definitely a different iteration of the character," Abdul-Mateen told Entertainment Weekly.
"What the viewers will come to understand is that there are many rules of the Matrix," he continued. "Age, appearance, the things we identify as real, can be manipulated in that world. The Matrix is where anything is possible."
Fishburne starred as Morpheus in the first three "Matrix" movies and perfectly played the character as an all-knowing tour guide to Keanu Reeves' Neo as he goes down the rabbit hole to becoming The One.
"I play a character who's definitely aware of the history of the Matrix [and] the history of Morpheus," Abdul-Mateen said. "This character is on a journey of self-discovery. There's a lot in our story that's about growth, defining your own path. Morpheus isn't exempt from that."
Though details on what "The Matrix Resurrections" is about has been limited, the first trailer for the movie did reveal that Abdul-Mateen's Morpheus has similar callbacks to Fishburne's Morpheus, including a martial arts duel with Neo.
Fishburne revealed last summer that he wasn't returning for the fourth film because he wasn't asked to return.
"I have not been invited," he told New York Magazine, later telling Collider that "you'd have to ask [creator] Lana Wachowski why, because I don't have an answer for that."
Although there'll be a different Morpheus, Reeves is returning to reprise his role as Neo and will be joined by other stars of the film, including Carrie-Anne Moss and Priyanka Chopra.
"The Matrix Resurrections" opens in theaters — and will be available on HBO Max — on December 22.
