It is not often when the plot of a hit movie and its videogame counterpart coincide back and forth and affect each other. However, now it seems that based on the new trailer for The Matrix: Resurrections, the sequel film has some plot connected with The Matrix Online game, which was released back in 2005.
In a brief snippet from the trailer, when Neo sees a therapist and has flashbacks, GameSpot noticed that there is a still of him beaten from his fight with Bane from the third Matrix movie, The Matrix Revolutions. Neo is lying on the floor unconscious as a couple of robot spider-like machines are performing maintenance on his body.
This is connected to the Matrix video game because Matrix Online acted as a direct sequel to the third movie. In it, Morpheus was angered that these machines never gave back Neo's body, so Morpheus planned coordinated attacks on the matrix until he was assassinated. All of this seemingly suggests that the machines never gave back Neo's body and could be an indicator of why Laurence Fishburne's character does not appear in the trailer.
This stemmed from The Matrix co-creator Lilly Wachowski and her sister wanting to give fans a continuation of the story that lasts beyond the original trilogy. While the Matrix Online game is a direct continuation, many fans were not sure how much it would be considered canon by studios, even considering the Wachowski's push to make that happen. Now, it seems that the game has a seemingly significant impact on the film, even if it was only for a brief moment.
There is also the possibility of The Matrix being affected by studio meddling, which could affect how much of an impact the video game has on the movie. It has happened in the past and arguably caused one of the biggest plot holes in the series. Hopefully, gaming fans will get to see their two worlds collide and feel as if they got to experience an extra part of The Matrix lore.
However, there are still many unanswered questions in the film. One of the main ones being Carrie-Anne Moss's character's return even though she died in the real world towards the end of the third film. Based on the trailer, it seems that the majority of it takes place within the matrix, with Trinity going to be one of the driving factors for Neo's motivation, or possibly his resurrection.
The Matrix: Resurrections will premiere in theaters on December 22, 2021.
Source: GameSpot