After previously turning down the role of Neo for the original film, Will Smith is seemingly teasing his casting in the upcoming Matrix reboot.

It’s a known fact that before Keanu Reeves immortalised Neo on the big screen with the groundbreaking and genre-defining The Matrix in 1999, it was Will Smith who was first offered the role but he rejected it for Wild Wild West (1999).

Will Smith's cryptic post about rejecting the role of Neo in The Matrix sparked fan speculation about his involvement in the upcoming fifth installment.

Discover how Keanu Reeves, starring as Neo in The Matrix series, earned an unprecedented $156 million, outpacing Hollywood giants like Tom Cruise and Will Smith in single-franchise earnings.

Drew Goddard (The Martian) is attached to write and direct the Matrix franchise's fifth movie installment, and sources confirmed to Variety that Smith is not involved with the pro

"In 1997," the post reads, "the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. Smith turned it down. He chose Wild Wild West, believing it was a better fit for him at the time. But the question remains: what would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo?"

Smith’s Instagram message came as Warner Bros. gears up for the next chapter of the Matrix, continuing the legacy of a series that redefined the sci-fi genre. While fans might have been eager to see Smith don a long coat and shades, it seems this chapter of The Matrix won’t include him.

Will Smith teased fans with a cryptic Matrix-inspired video, but sources quickly confirmed he won't be starring in the fifth chapter of the sci-fi saga.

Will Smith will not be starring in the next Matrix movie despite seemingly teasing his involvement in a cryptic post. "In 1997, the Wachowskis offered Will Smith the role of Neo in The Matrix. But the question remains: What would The Matrix have been like with Will Smith as Neo?

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Will Smith's initially rejected of the role of Neo in 1999's The Matrix, but recently hinted at a possible Matrix-related project without Keanu Reeves.