The Matrix 4 Theory: Bugs Is The New Morpheus

The Matrix Resurrections will see the return of Morpheus, but the new character Bugs could become the main mentor for Neo that Morpheus once was.

The Matrix Resurrections will see the return of Neo's teacher Morpheus from the original Matrix trilogy, but the new character Bugs could be Neo's main guide in the fourth film. Eighteen years after The Matrix Revolutions, the franchise is returning to the big-screen and HBO Max on December 22, while the story it's telling remains as heavily guarded secret. That secrecy also extends to the roles of Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and Morpheus (Yahya Abdul Mateen II).

Neo and Trinity are seen in the trailer living seemingly normal lives with no recollection of the Matrix or the underground city Zion, while Neo once again begins sensing that something is wrong with the world around him. This leads Neo to cross paths with Morpheus again, along with a woman known only as Bugs (Jessica Henwick). Despite Morpheus meeting Neo again, The Matrix established that things are not always as they seem, and Morpheus and Bugs could be the best example of this in The Matrix Resurrections.

With Resurrections appearing to start Neo back to the beginning of not knowing or understanding with that Matrix is, he'll need a guide to take him through that deep plunge again. While Morpheus seems like the obvious candidate for that job, there are indications that his role won't be the same as it was when audiences first met him. When taking a look at the role Bugs might be playing in Resurrections, she might actually have a lot more to do with Neo re-learning the truth about the Matrix.

The Role Of Morpheus Is Still Ambiguous

While the marketing for The Matrix Resurrections has shown glimpses as Mateen II's Morpheus, the exact nature of his role is unknown. Morpheus is shown in the trailer presenting Neo with a red pill and facing Neo in a sparring match, both of which he did in the original Matrix, but the context of where Morpheus fits into the story is still a big question mark. There's also the unanswered question of why Mateen II is replacing Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus.

It seems likely there's an in-story reason for Morpheus' new appearance, such as another "shell", as the Oracle had adopted in The Matrix Revolutions. There's also the possibility of there being a more sinister context to how Morpheus enters the story, such as being a disguised Agent whom Bugs later frees, while comments by Mateen II himself suggest something's very different about Morpheus in the film. Whatever the case, the mentor relationship Morpheus once had with Neo might not be something that Resurrections directly recreates, if hints in the trailer are anything to go by.

Bugs Is More Prominent In The Trailers (& More Actively Guiding Neo)

In contrast to the veiled nature of Morpheus' role in Resurrections and Mateen II describing him as "called Morpheus", Jessica Henwick's Bugs is showcased in the trailer in a manner closer to what Morpheus previously embodied. She's shown as a more proactive guide to Neo, and seems to be more directly leading him towards the truth about the Matrix. Bugs' words "If you want the truth Neo, you're going to have to follow me", followed by her leading Neo through a doorway of light and warping through a mirror in the next shot, could indicate that Neo gains more of an awareness about the Matrix from Bugs than anyone else. Additionally, there are other hints to Bugs as Neo's primary mentor in the film.

Henwick herself described Bugs as "the audience's eyes" in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, and the trailer also makes allusions in that direction. Jefferson Airplane's "Follow the White Rabbit" is used as the trailer's soundtrack, while Bugs also carries a tattoo of a white rabbit. The name Bugs itself could derive from Bugs Bunny, which coupled with her tattoo, points to Bugs as the white rabbit Neo has to follow. Moreover, rather than just being an ally of Neo's, Bugs could actually be something even more significant.

Theory - Bugs Is The Morpheus Equivalent In Resurrections

With the emphasis the marketing has placed on Bugs and the mysterious role Morpheus plays in the story, it could be that Bugs, rather than Morpheus, is the character to serve as Neo's teacher in Resurrections. The Morpheus arriving in Resurrections doesn't seem to be the same one from the original trilogy, both in literal and metaphorical terms, while Mateen II has his own description of Morpheus, stating that he's "on a journey of self-discovery". It'd be a lot to ask even a sage as wise as Morpheus to enlighten someone to the nature of the Matrix while he's apparently in the middle of some sort of enlightenment of his own.

On the other hand, that seemingly won't be an issue for Bugs, who appears fully cognizant of what the Matrix is, how to bend its rules, and how to pass that knowledge on to someone like Neo. While she's possibly set to be the most important new character in the Matrix mythos to debut in Resurrections, her being a simple associate of Neo's or a potential illusion like Trinity falls well short of how she's been positioned. With Neo going through another experience of pulling back the curtain and seeing the Matrix as the facade that it is, Bugs seems like just the character to provide Neo with those answers and how to defy the Matrix's built-in restrictions.

Obviously, a character as vital to The Matrix franchise as Morpheus isn't likely to be of negligible importance in his return. However, the recasting of Morpheus with Mateen II and other hints suggest that Morpheus now has his own path to travel. Bugs is a completely new addition to The Matrix, and with the story of The Matrix Resurrections taking the franchise in new directions, she's entering the fray as a human freedom fighter of major importance and great skill level. With Bugs being "the audience's eyes", she might end up being Neo's, too.

NEXT: Matrix 4 Trailer All But Confirms New Agent Smith Theory