For the fans of The Matrix franchise, Keanu Reeves as Neo is one of the most famous and loved characters of all time. The manner in which Reeves brought indispensable traits to the character of Neo is unmatchable. Be it the athletic physique, nuanced performance or jaw-dropping fight scenes, he shined bright. Neo is known to bring a sense of wonder and calmness to the protagonist.
However, the franchise could have been very different. This is because Will Smith, the 90’s megastar, was offered the film, which he gladly turned down. Smith, who starred in major hits like Men in Black and Independence Day, was offered the character of Neo by Wachowskis. The actor rejected the offer and instead acted in the silly Wild Wild West.
Will Smith shared a cryptic post teasing a reboot of ‘THE MATRIX’ with him as Neo.
“Wake up, Will…” pic.twitter.com/Pu6LXLzklI
— Complex Pop Culture (@ComplexPop) January 6, 2025
Will Smith often jokes about this incident in his interviews. He even refers to this as his biggest career misstep. But fate has a unique sense of humor, because in 2025, Smith sent The Matrix fans into a frenzy. Once again, his name was linked to this beloved film. The message Smith shared read: “In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time. But the question remains: What would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo? Wake up, Will … The Matrix has you.”
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The Pursuit of Happiness fame shared a 30-second cryptic video on Monday for his 70 Million Instagram followers. He suggested that he might be working on a Matrix project which is yet to be announced. There’s no substantial information regarding the project yet. Fans have, however, started anticipating his role.
Fans were quick enough to speculate his role in an interesting cameo, while others suggested he could be playing a substantial main character. Ardent fans of the iconic sci-fi also also had a feeling that his role might expand the universe. Or he could be alt-Neo in the multiverse-inspired concept.
But sources have reported that Smith is not attached to the new Matrix movie. The whole teaser has a connection with a new music project that Smith has underway. Smith released his last music album back in 2005. The massive hit album “Lost and Found” featured his hit single, “Switch” which peaked at No.7 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his third and last Hot 100 top 10.
Will Smith was asked on Quora, “In your opinion, what is the worst and best movie of Will Smith?” Smith was quick to respond, “For the best, I think it’s a tie between the first Men in Black and Pursuit of Happiness. For different reasons, those are the two almost-perfect movies. ”The worst? “I don’t know, Wild Wild West is a thorn in my side. To see myself in chaps… I don’t like it,” he added.
Smith starred alongside Salma Hayek and Kevin Kline in The Wild Wild West, which was released in 1999. The film received negative reviews from critics and wasn’t appreciated by fans as well. Time Magazine called it one of the “biggest flops in box office history,” and even Rotten Tomatoes gave it an average score of 2.6, which is quite bad.
