The Matrix franchise is making its comeback with the new film “The Matrix Resurrections”.

It is the fourth installment in the Matrix series will be released on Wednesday and is the first in the series in 18 years, when “The Matrix Reloaded”.

The Matrix films are set in a terrible future in which all of humanity is kept in pods by machines and forced to live in a simulation. People of the simulation are unaware of the machine’s enslavement of the human race, except a few who seek to free themselves. Throughout the simulation AI, called agents, fight those who seek freedom from the simulation.

The original Matrix series has been hailed as one of the greatest science fiction trilogies. The series is referenced to this day and still rewatched by many. Since the last Matrix film was released in 2003, many fans are wondering if this fourth installment will hold up amongst the other films, even with actor Keanu Reeves reprising his role as the protagonist Neo. 

It appears in the trailer that the movie will start with Neo dealing with memory loss, and eventually return to fighting the machines. The trailer plays on the nostalgia of its earlier films, but also seems to be taking the film in an interesting direction. It seems that the simulation is an even stranger place, with new effects and new faces.

Returning to the Matrix are actors Carrie Anne Moss, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lambert Wilson, and Daniel Bernhardt. There are many new actors coming onto the scene, such as Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Eréndira Ibarra, Priyanka Chopra, Andrew Caldwell, Brian J. Smith, Ellen Hollman, and Christina Ricci.

Similar to previous films, fans can anticipate plenty of references to the book “Alice in Wonderland”. Neo is compared to Alice going down the rabbit hole, deeper and deeper into the simulation. The trailer references the white rabbit as well as Neo going through mirrors just like Alice did when she went through the looking glass. 

Fans of the Matrix noticed some differences in the new trailer, though. Morpheus, an important character throughout the Matrix series, is a resistance leader who brings Neo into the fight against the machines. 

The iconic character, made famous by Laurence Fishburne, is well known for his scenes where he offers Neo a red or blue pill. The red pill locates the user’s body outside of the simulation, and prepares it to be unplugged from the matrix. The blue pill allows the user to remain in the world of the Matrix. Morpheous has been replaced by Yahya Mateen, who is seen offering Neo a red and blue pill, paying homage to previous films.

The first three Matrix movies were directed by Lana Wachowski and her sister Lily Wachowski, who did not take part in this new film, leaving some to wonder how the movie will change.

The villain of the Matrix, Agent Smith, will be making a return in the new film, but like Morpheous the iconic character will be given a new face. The trailer indicates that Jonathan Groff will be replacing Hugo Weaving for the villain’s role. Groff is shown reading some of Agent Smith’s old lines.

The film will mesh old characters with the new, continuing the series with a fresh can of paint. One question many fans are wondering is will it hold up? Many believe the series should continue but for some, sequels only degrade from the original work.