Will Smith’s ‘Matrix’ tease doesn’t seem to be what it looks like

If you’re a fan of The Matrix, then seeing Will Smith’s latest posts on Instagram may have had you jumping with joy with the assumption that there’s a new film project in the works with the actor in a starring role. Now, new information about the project seems to have dashed these hopes.

On Jan. 6, 2024, Smith shared a post to his Instagram which included text that mentioned Smith was initially offered the role of Neo in The Matrix, but instead chose to appear in Wild Wild West. It then posed the question, what if Smith had chosen to play Neo instead? The last text shared in the video included the phrase “Wake up Will,” and “The Matrix has you.”

Naturally, this would have you thinking that Smith is poised to play Neo in some sort of Matrix reboot. However, despite the presumption that he might just be taking the red pill, a new report from Deadline claims that won’t be the case. Instead, this cryptic post is related to an upcoming music release from the actor.

Last releasing an album back in 2005, according to Deadline’s sources, this tease is for an upcoming musical project. As you would expect, no specifics were shared about this release or how it ties into The Matrix in any way, but from what it would seem, there are no plans for Smith to appear on screen in any future movies within the beloved sci-fi franchise.

Ultimately Smith’s decision to do Wild Wild West instead of The Matrix proved to be the wrong choice, as the former bombed at the box office while Keanu Reeves‘s breakout role went gangbusters — spawning an entire franchise that would go on to make more than $1.79 billion dollars. 

While it might not be related to Smith in any way, there is a new Matrix project in the works. Drew Goddard — known for his work as a screenwriter on The Martian — will be writing the new movie, but to date there are no cast members attached to the project. 

The most recent Matrix movie was released in 2021. Titled The Matrix Resurrections, it sought to revive this incredibly popular franchise, but it was not received so kindly. Right now, the movie has a shared 63 percent audience and critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, however it is surprisingly not the worst-reviewed film in the series. That honor belongs to The Matrix Revolutions which has a poor 33 percent critic score alongside a much better 60 percent audience rating. Hopefully, with Goddard’s upcoming movie, the franchise can return to the heights that we’ve seen it reach before.

Given that Smith is already teasing his upcoming music project, you can expect details to be released sometime soon. However, reps for Smith declined to share any comment with Deadline regarding the post. With so much time between releases it, will be interesting to see what kind of music Smith has in store for fans — should that be what his next move winds up being.

It’s worth noting that Smith did release multiple singles in 2024, so an upcoming album wouldn’t be all that surprising. If you’re interested to hear some of the music Smith has released before, all of his discography can be found on Spotify now, including his last studio album “Lost and Found.”