Summary
At this point, it’s almost impossible that any future movies inThe Matrixseries will be able to stick closely to the world that’s already been built. Across four feature-length movies and several spin-off projects such as theAnimatrixanthology, The Matrix has formed an extremely complicated and sometimes confusing canon. With their original 1999 movie, the Wachowskis created such a rich and vivid universe that’s proven difficult to uphold over the years, with each new project making slight changes and readjustments that have gradually built towards an unreliable canon. Eventhe bestMatrixmoviesstruggle to adhere to these in-universe rules.
Despite claims at the time of release thatThe Matrix: Resurrectionscould be the final installment in the franchise, a fifthMatrixmovie is now in production, with Drew Goddard attached to direct. While this is extremely exciting news following the mixed critical reception ofResurrections, there are still valid concerns that Goddard’s movie won’t fit neatly into the canon. IfThe Matrix 5brings back old charactersfrom earlier movies, removing the possibility of a complete reboot,it will havemany challenges to overcome in the writing stage.The Matrix’s Canon Is Too Restrictive For Matrix 5 Not To Contradict It
The Matrix Timeline Explained: When The Movies Take Place
The Matrix Trilogy is unclear as to when exactly its events take place. Here’s a tentative timeline chronicling the key occurrences in the franchise.
The Sequels Made Too Many Changes To The World
Put simply, the canon ofThe Matrixis simply too restrictive to house so many sequels and spinoffs. There’s a reason that the worldbuilding of the first movie is so universally praised - it reveals just enough to make that particular narrative work, keeping the world feeling rich and lived-in without going too far and opening up the possibility of plot holes. But that’s exactly what happened in the immediate sequels, as the Wachowskis expanded on the world of Zion and fundamentally changed whatThe Matrixreally is. Parts of this worked,but it made a fictional universe that’s unsustainable.
WithThe Matrix: Resurrections, these changes got even more radical. The meta-commentary on obsessive fandom and Hollywood’s fixation on reboots and sequels may have been effective, but it was fairly damaging to the fabric of the canon.Resurrectionsrewrites the original trilogy’s ending, giving Neo’s sacrifice a new meaning and retconning much of the subtext that made it so effective. Following this, it’s unclear exactly howThe Matrix 5will be able to follow directly on fromResurrectionswithoutbetraying the meaning of the original films.
Matrix 5 Must Break The Franchise’s Canon To Be A True Fresh Start
The Upcoming Sequel Needs To Be A Soft Reboot
Ultimately, the best solution forThe Matrix 5is simply to accept that breaking canon is inevitable. If the writers devote too much time to avoiding plot holes and adhering to the previous films, this would almost certainly have a detrimental effect on the story. WhileResurrectionswas undoubtedly divisive, one thing that it did really well wasprioritizing the story above all else. It wasn’t afraid to rewrite the overarching narrative ofThe Matrixif it served this story well.
That was the main reason that long-term fans of the franchise took issue with it, but it’s also what made it so bold and unique.The Matrix 5needs to do the same thing if it wants to succeed, understanding that it won’t please everybody.Resurrections’ failure could be good forThe Matrix 5-it doesn’t have to adhere to these new rules that made fans so upset, but can rather carve its own path and go wherever it likes.
Matrix 5 Breaking Canon Doesn’t Mean It Has To Ignore The Other Movies
There Can Still Be Connections To The Original Trilogy
With a franchise like this, the canon is fairly flexible. There have been plenty ofscenes that brokeThe Matrixfranchisethroughout the sequels, providing details that either contradict existing ones or simply introduce concepts that were previously impossible. Because of this, it’s very difficult to find a version of the canon where everything can exist at the same time. While this annoys several invested fans, the result is actually a franchise whereviewers can essentially pick and choosewhich aspects of the story they consider to be canon.
[Matrix 5] can connect itself to some movies and detach itself from others without too much issue.
Because of this,Matrix 5isn’t bound by any rules when it comes to integrating itself into this universe. It can connect itself to some movies and detach itself from others without too much issue, allowing it to both break canon and acknowledge its predecessors at the same time. This is arguably the easiest way forMatrix 5to save the franchise afterResurrections, focusing on the quality of the story that it provides rather than trying to fit neatly into a canon that’s almost impossible to uphold.
The Matrix 5
The Matrix 5: The latest installment in The Matrix series continues the saga of Neo and his allies as they navigate a complex dystopian world. Tasked with a monumental mission, they confront new challenges that question the fabric of reality and humanity’s place within it.
