Will Smith shockingly passed on the leading role inThe Matrix, which completely changed both the franchise and his career. Smith was offered the role of Neo inThe Matrixbefore Keanu Reeves. By that point in his career, some ofWill Smith’s best movies, such asBad Boys,Independence Day, andMen in Black, had already been released. Therefore, he had already established himself as a movie star. Additionally, Smith had proven that he had an interest in the science fiction genre, which would have made him a perfect leading man forThe Matrixmovies.
The story of the firstMatrixmovie follows Neo, who discovers that humanity istrapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality that was created by intelligent machines. Lily and Lana Wachowski, the writers and directors of the firstMatrixmovie, offered the role of Neo to Smith. Smith accepting the role of Neo would have completely changed his career, as the first movie was a huge success and eventually became the start of a franchise. However,Smith was unsure about the Wachowskis' pitch forThe Matrixand decided to turn down the leading role.
Will Smith Wasn’t Sold On The Wachowskis’ Pitch For The Matrix
Will Smith Decided Not To Star In The Matrix
Will Smith passing onThe Matrixis one of the most well-known cases of an actor turning down a movie that ended up becoming super popular. Smith himself felt the need to explain why he didn’t want to star inThe Matrixin aYouTubevideo in 2019. In the video, he explained that after starring inIndependence Day, he also wanted to turn downMen in Black. Steven Spielberg actually ended up convincing Smith that turning downMen in Blackwould be a mistake, but this proves thatSmith didn’t want to star in too many sci-fi movies when he was offeredThe Matrix.
Therefore, when the Wachowskis pitched him their idea forThe Matrix, Smith wasn’t sold. Smith explained that the Wachowskis pitched him a scene in which he would jump during a fight and stop in midair while the camera moved around him. Of course, this scene ended up becoming one of the best scenes in the firstMatrixmovie, but Smith didn’t understand it at the time. Additionally, Smith was shocked that the directing duo wanted to invent a new camera to filmThe Matrix. Therefore,he ultimately decided thatThe Matrixwasn’t right for him and passed on the role.
Wild Wild West Is One Of The Lowest-Rated Movies Of Will Smith’s Career
Instead of joining the cast ofThe Matrix, Smith signed on to star in the 1999 filmWild Wild West. In the above video,Smith even admitted that he’s not proud ofWild Wild West, as it is one of the worst movies of his career.Wild Wild Westwas directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, who also helmedMen in Black. Therefore, Smith chose to work with a director who he knew and trusted. However, uponWild Wild West’srelease, reviews for the film were horrible. Currently,Wild Wild Westhas a score of 16% on Rotten Tomatoes (viaRotten Tomatoes).
Will Smith Matrix Movie Teased In Cryptic Video After Actor Passed On Neo Role In 1997
A new Matrix movie starring Will Smith is hinted at in a cryptic video posted by the actor who turned down the role of Neo in the 1990s.
Wild Wild Westis a steampunk Western film that follows Smith’s James West, a Civil War hero who is tasked with tracking down an inventor who is planning to assassinate the U.S. President.Wild Wild Westis not a traditional Western movie by any means, as the inventor created a giant mechanical spider which also has a prominent role in the film. Overall, the tone ofWild Wild Westjust did not work, and the film was panned by critics and audiences alike. Meanwhile,the bold style ofThe Matrixled the film to be a critical and commercial success.
How Will Smith’s Matrix Would’ve Been Different From What We Got
Will Smith May Have Changed The Tone Of The Matrix
Keanu Reeves and Laurence Fishburne ensured that both Neo and Morpheus became iconic characters. The dynamic between Neo and Morpheus is one of the highlights ofThe Matrix. However, things would have been completely different if Smith had accepted the role of Neo inThe Matrix. If Smith was Neo, it is unlikely that Fishburne would not have been cast as Morpheus. Smith claimed thatthe Wachowskis were looking to cast Val Kilmer as Morpheus when he was the first choice to play Neo.
83%
74%
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The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
63%
If Smith was Neo and Kilmer was Morpheus,The Matrixwould have been a completely different film. Even Smith admitted that it’s possible he would have ruinedThe Matrixif he had been Neo. More than likely, Neo would have made a lot more jokes inThe Matrixif he had been played by Smith. A lot of Smith’s characters are very witty and playful. In contrast, Keanu Reeves' portrayal of Neo was incredibly serious. Therefore,it’s possible that the tone ofThe Matrixwould have been completely different if Smith had been Neo, potentially leading to a worse movie.
Neo Is Not The Only Famous Role Will Smith Turned Down
Smith Turned Down Movies Like Rush Hour, Superman Returns, And Django Unchained
In addition to Neo,Will Smith has turned downseveral other movie roles.Smith has been one of the most in-demand leading men in Hollywood for several decades, so he has had the privilege of choosing what projects he wants to pursue. Smith was also offered the role of Carter inRush Hour, which was released a year beforeThe Matrix. However, he turned that down because he thought the buddy cop movie was too similar toBad Boys.
The Matrix 5: Confirmation & Everything We Know
The Matrix Resurrections ended on a somewhat ambiguous note, which opened the door for the franchise to continue in the recently announced Matrix 5.
Smith also turned down a role as the most iconic comic book character of all time inSuperman Returns. Smith was offered the role of Superman for the 2006 movie, but turned it down because the pressure of playing such an iconic character was too much. Years later, Smith also turned down the leading role in Quentin Tarantino’sDjango Unchainedbecause he didn’t want to portray a slave. The above examples make it clear thatSmith has turned down several major roles in his career. However, nothing will ever top him passing on the role of Neo inThe Matrix.
The Matrix
Cast
The Matrix, released in 1999, is set in the 22nd century and follows a computer hacker, Neo, portrayed by Keanu Reeves. He joins a group of underground insurgents led by Morpheus to combat the domineering computers that control the earth, in a battle that blurs the lines between reality and illusion.
