Confirmed: Will Smith Will NOT Be in the Next ‘Matrix’ Movie Despite Cryptic Social Media Tease

Will Smith may have had his dedicated fans buzzing Monday (January 6) when he took to social media with content that suggested he would be involved in the next installment of the ‘Matrix,’ but reps close to the film have taken to press to confirm otherwise.

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Taking to Instagram, Smith detailed how he passed on the starring role of Neo in the original 1999 ‘Matrix’ via a post accented by a font inspired by the film.

“What would ‘The Matrix’ have been like with Will Smith as Neo,” the visual asked his 69.5 million followers on the platform.

And though commenters took to the clip in droves to express elation over Will joining the franchise’s cast, insiders quickly took to ‘The Hollywood Reporter‘ to share that the actor-rapper will not be joining Warner Bros. and director Drew Goddard’s ‘The Matrix 5.’

The movie’s been in production since 2024, but – at writing – there’s no tentative release date attached.

At the time of this report Smith has not confirmed if his cryptic post was related to new music or some other forthcoming venture.