On March 14, 2017, it became known that Warner Bros. may be preparing the restart of the “Matrix”, and on March 17 the writer of the original trilogy partially confirmed the rumor. And only two and a half years later an official announcement was made.
The cult series showed all the power of computer special effects, popularized slow motion and impressed the audience with spectacular fights of people in leather coats. But the holes in the plot did not give rest to the fans: many came up with their own explanations.
GRIN tech recalls the most interesting and crazy fan theories about the “Matrix”.
Caution: the material contains large spoilers for the “Matrix” trilogy and a minor spoiler for “John Week 2”.
Outline
Even deeper
This theory assumes that Zion is not real-world at all, but just another layer of the Matrix created to make people think that they have got to the truth and do not interfere with the machines.
They say it is a “the real ending”, but there is no evidence that Wachowski wanted to finish the trilogy that way.
This is probably the most popular of all the fan theories. Which is no surprise: it explains almost every story’s holes left by Wachowski.
The main one is Neo’s ability to manifest itself in Zion. At the end of the second film he destroys several Guardians with his mind, and at the end of the third film he “sees” machines and energy flows similar to the source code in the Matrix.
It is quite logical that all this is possible because Neo is still in simulation.
The Architect’s words that “Zion is just another form of control” are also considered a hint at the second layer of the Matrix.
In the “real end”, by the way, it is the Architect who explains to Neo that Zion was invented as a level for the most naughty people, and in fact, the Chosen One does not save anyone but simply follows the will of the machines.
The confirmation of this theory is also considered to be the fact that the machines are not trying to hurt people very much. In the Matrix, agents never chase “red pills” (those who have rejected the Matrix) in groups of more than three, they don’t have weapons other than guns, and they sometimes run out of bullets (which is pointless, because they are in the program).
In the Zion, machines don’t try to drill their way to the human settlement any harder, even if they could. Everything looks as if they are trying to complicate people’s lives, distract them, but not to destroy them in any way.
However, opponents of this theory note that the machines are most likely programmed to give people a choice to leave the Matrix and a chance to survive outside it so that another Exceptional can create a new Zion, and the system can reboot again.
Neo is a mutant
Another theory that emerged from the lack of an official explanation to Neo’s forces. According to it, people who have been “harvested” for generations have become subject to some genetic mutation.
Machines created and used people for hundreds of years. As Neo learns from the Architect, the Matrix has been rebooted six times during this time. Quite probably, it occurred because the people possessed small genetic changes. And each time the pinnacle of these changes was the Exceptional, who revolted, freed people, and then merged with the Source (the source code, the birthplace of all programs) and passed on to him his abnormal genetic code, on the basis of which the Matrix was created anew.
Neo is the Chosen One, and he also has a genetic mutation. His nervous system is more receptive to the signals sent by the Source, used by machines to communicate with each other and transmitted to the human brain when connected to the Matrix.
Therefore, Neo sees and can change the code of the Matrix and also feels and can disable the Guardians. His nervous system allows him to navigate the world of machines without his eyes, but he does not “see” Trinity dying because she does not send signals. He feels the electromagnetic radiation almost as much as we feel the heat.
And at the end of the trilogy, when Neo connects to the Source, he gives it his code and gives people freedom.
Agent Smith is the real favorite
Agent Smith plays an important role in the trilogy, but those who adhere to this theory believe that he is not a secondary character, but the main character, the real Chosen One.
The very prophecy of the chosen one contains hints about it:
“When the Matrix was created, a person was born in it who could change it according to his own wishes. After his death, the Oracle predicted that he would return, and his return would mean the destruction of the Matrix, the end of the war, and the liberation of the people.”
It turns out that the true Chosen One must be created in the Matrix, able to change it, and finally must destroy it.
Neo was not born in the Matrix, he grew up in an incubator in the real world. But Smith was definitely born in the Matrix. Even considering that he was originally created by the Source and then sent to the Matrix, at the end of the first part Neo kills Smith and he is reborn within the simulation.
Moreover, the Architect explains to Neo that he is the carrier of the “elementary program”, the sum of all the anomalies of the system. And when Smith is reborn, he also has an elementary program, Neo passed it on to him in a previous battle. Neo, it turns out, is Smith’s “father”.
Who is the mother then?
In The Matrix: The Revolution, Smith himself answers this question: he calls the “mother” of the Oracle, hinting that it was she who created it and returned it to the Matrix.
There is no doubt that Smith was able to change the Matrix at will. His battle with Neo in “The Revolution” shows that Smith’s abilities are much more impressive than those of the false Favorites, who can only fly and fight.
And it was thanks to Smith that the Matrix was destroyed and the war ended. Of course, it was Neo who made the deal with the machines, but without the catastrophic destruction that Smith caused, the machines would hardly have agreed. Neo was needed to reboot the Matrix and get rid of the Smith virus.
In the last scene of the “Revolution”, the Architect says to Oracle: “You’ve started a very dangerous game.”
The Oracle convinced everyone that the Chosen One was Neo when he was Smith. She tricked everybody: people, cars, Smith himself, you and me.
Morpheus is the leader of a religious cult
This time in the middle of the theory is Cypher, the traitor to Nebuchadnezzar’s team. It is based on the fact that Morpheus’ actions are very similar to those of religious leaders.
At first, Morpheus offers a red or blue pill, without explaining what will happen after taking a red pill.
He only intrigues with general phrases like “No one can explain what the Matrix is, it needs to be seen for themselves”, which is of course bullshit. He explains the essence of the Matrix later himself.
Morpheus doesn’t say, “If you take this pill, you’ll find yourself in a disastrous future where cars have taken over the world and people are grown in incubators” because no one would agree.
Then, as soon as the newcomer disconnects from the Matrix and is shocked and completely misunderstood, Morpheus picks him up, brings him to the ship, and builds a logical picture of the world: those are the enemy (machines), these are friends (people and Morpheus himself), and that’s the goal (to find the Chosen One, the Messiah who will save everyone).
And everybody believes him because there is nothing else left.
Everyone except Cypher.
He understands what Morpheus is doing, and he doesn’t want to participate in it. He does not believe in the “messiah” and wants to go back to his usual world. That’s why he makes the deal with the agents.
He betrays his team of religious fanatics and tries to escape, but dies. And actually “Matrix” is a sad story about a man who found himself in a cult and then tried to escape from it.
The action of “John Wick” takes place in the Matrix
At first glance, this fan theory may seem delusional, but its arguments are quite convincing.
It consists in the fact that the events of both parts of “John Wick” unfold in the eighth iteration of the Matrix, reloaded after the sacrifice of Neo.
Firstly, the time of action coincides – in the “Matrix” machines keep people in the virtual version of 1999. There is no exact year statement in the John Wick movies, but some details suggest that this is about the end of the 20th – beginning of the 21st century. No one uses a smartphone, and in the criminal world reigns the idea that the information is available to a few, which would be strange if the Internet in that world is as widespread as it is now.
Second, by version 8 of the Matrix, it could well have been perfect enough to reduce the number of errors that make the Exceptional appear. This would explain why the Exceptional (this time John) has not yet discovered his true nature and has not escaped into the real world.
Third, although the system has been updated, the cycle still repeats itself. The chosen one still has abilities that are inaccessible to the ordinary inhabitants of the Matrix, so John kills hundreds of people without much difficulty.
Besides, he asks for help from Morpheus, who this time also knows nothing about the real world, but in the Matrix, he is a big mobster “The Pigeon King”.
The Matrix Explanation Summed Up
Fan theories most often appear due to the fact that the creators do not give answers to questions that the viewers have in the course of viewing.
Most of the theories about the “Matrix” are designed to explain the plot holes and mysterious phrases in some way.
Where did Neo get his abilities in the real world? What does the dialogue between the Architect and the Oracle mean at the end of part three?
In search of answers, fans begin to come up with excuses for what is happening, often very crazy and drawn by the ears. Let’s see if the new film will shed light on the mysteries of the original and leave no new ones.