Will Smith will not be joining Warner Bros. and director Drew Goddard in a new Matrix movie, according to insiders. This leaves open the question of how a different actor would have played Neo in the original 1999 sci-fi epic.
Smith sparked the mystery with a cryptic Instagram post on Monday, stating that he was once offered the role of Neo but turned it down for Wild Wild West. The post read: “In 1997, the Wachowski’s offered Will Smith the role of Neo… But what would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo? Wake up, Will… The Matrix has you…”
Smith starred in Wild Wild West alongside Kevin Kline and played a gun-blazing former Civil War hero. In contrast, the original Matrix was a hit that became a pop culture touchstone, grossing $467 million worldwide.
Director Drew Goddard, who also directed The Martian and World War Z, was tapped to write and direct the new Matrix feature last year. Lana Wachowski will act as an executive producer on the project.
Source: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/will-smith-wont-star-matrix-5-1236102605