There has been a longstanding theory about what the story ofThe Matrix 5should be, and while this story is an exciting idea, it has already been told within the franchise. Theworld ofThe Matrixis absolutely massive, with there being an endless amount of stories to tell in future movies and spinoff projects. After spending four films chronicling the stories of Neo and Trinity, many fans have begun to speculate on what could come next from the franchise, with one perfect story forThe Matrix 5having already been told many years ago.
The originalThe Matrixtrilogy contains one of the most popular sci-fi stories of all time, and after the franchise ended withThe Matrix Revolutions, many wondered what would come next for the series. After 18 years,that question was finally answered with the legacy sequelThe Matrix Resurrections. However,The Matrix Resurrectionswas critically divisiveand a box office bomb, putting the future of the franchise in jeopardy. In order to succeed,The Matrix 5will have to try something new, and unfortunately, this popular theory regarding the next film’s story just isn’t that.
Matrix 5 Should Ideally Be A Prequel After Four Movies About Keanu Reeves’ Neo
Neo Doesn’t Need The Spotlight Again
IfThe Matrix 5wants to succeed, it should ideally be a prequel to the original movies.The Matrixfranchise has spent four films focusing on Keanu Reeves' Neo, and while the actor is now more popular than ever, the series can’t afford another movie focused on him. Bringing Neo back from the dead inThe Matrix Resurrectionswas one of the movie’s biggest mistakes, and after this fourth film, there simply isn’t any more story to tell about him. Neo should not be the protagonist of the nextThe Matrixmovie, with a prequel being the perfect option.
The world ofThe Matrixfranchise is absolutely massive, and due to how many stories have undoubtedly unfolded within the world, it shouldn’t be hard to find one that is worthy of a movie. There isn’t much story to tell after the events ofThe Matrix Resurrections, meaning that the only path forward is to look back at what came before. There is all kinds of lore that hasn’t been explored in a properThe Matrixmovie, meaning that abandoning Neo’s story and looking for a new subject is the best solution for the series' recent failings.
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All kinds of extra spinoff material have attempted to chronicle the origins ofThe Matrix, focusing on the various cycles that the mainline films mentioned had occurred before the events of the main series. It shouldn’t be hard to find a story within one of these, with this being the most popular theory regarding whatThe Matrix 5’s story should be about.
Matrix 5 Can’t Be An Origin Story – The Animatrix Has Already Done That
In The Second Renaissance
While there are all kinds of stories that can be told within the world ofThe Matrix, theorigin of the Matrix and the Machine Waris not one of them. When attempting to decide what story should be told in aThe Matrixprequel, it is obvious to jump to the Machine War, as this is the most significant storyline that hasn’t yet been explored in one of the mainlineThe Matrixmovies. However, there is no reason to do this, as fans of the franchise know that the story of the Machine War was already perfectly chronicled in the animated anthology movieThe Animatrix.
The Animatrixtells several different disconnected stories that take place within the world ofThe Matrix, with one of the segments being titledThe Second Renaissance.The Second RenaissanceseesThe Instructor interpret the Zion Archives for the audience, with them telling the story of the rise of artificial intelligence in the 21st century. The segment gives an in-depth look at the events that led up to the Machine War, what occurred during the war, and how it led to the creation of the Matrix, filling viewers in on the most important details from before the original film.
Should Matrix 5 Be A Prequel And Retcon The Second Renaissance?
Or Should It Be Something Else Entirely?
The only way thatThe Matrix 5’s Machine War prequel storyline can work is if it retconsThe Second Renaissance, which is an option.The Machine War is a storythat is worthy of a feature-length film, while itsThe Animatrixcounterpart was merely an animated segment within a larger anthology work.The Matrix 5can makeThe Animatrix’s version of the story non-canon, with a live-action prequel movie reinterpreting The Machine War to tell an all-new origin story of how The Matrix came to be.
RetconningThe Animatrixmay not be the best idea, however, as the animated anthology film is often considered to be the bestThe Matrixmovie outside of the original film. On top of that,The Animatrixis one of the only places where storylines that aren’t focused on Neo can be found, and attempting to mess with them could end up hurting the world ofThe Matrixas a whole. The first non-Neo story outside ofThe Animatrixretconning the film could set a dangerous precedent, upsetting fans ofThe Matrix’s extended universe.
How Matrix 5 Can Show The Origins Of The Matrix Without Retconning The Anime
There Are Some Methods
Although it would make things a bit more complicated, it is possible thatThe Matrix 5could show the origins of the Matrix without retconningThe Animatrix. One option would be to pay meticulous detail when crafting the story, with the film not contradicting anything seen inThe Animatrix. After all,The Second Renaissancefocuses on the broader strokes of the world’s history, so a more personal story that takes place within the Machine War could easily work without conflicting with the anime.
Should The Matrix 5 Actually Happen?
With The Matrix: Resurrections getting mixed reviews upon release, does The Matrix 5 really need to happen?
Another option would be forThe Matrix 5to reveal thatThe Second Renaissancewas told by an unreliable narrator.The Second Renaissanceuses a framing device in which a character known as The Instructor is telling the story from archives in Zion many years after the events occurred. Because of this, it could be that Zion’s archives are wrong, explaining whyThe Second Renaissanceconflicts with a potentialThe Matrix 5story. This is one of the best options, with it managing to preserveThe AnimatrixandThe Matrix 5.
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.
