Sumith Prasad
Hugo Weaving’s Agent Smith is arguably one of the most stylish movie antagonists of all time. The archenemy of Neo, Agent Smith is created as an AI program to sustain stability in the world of the Matrix in ‘The Matrix‘ film series. As the storyline of the film series progresses, Agent Smith gains the ability to infect and assimilate any being in the Matrix, stunning the viewers even upon years after the release of the first three films of the franchise. Since the world of the Matrix is reopened with the fourth Matrix film ‘The Matrix Resurrections,’ fans must be wondering whether Hugo Weaving is appearing as the iconic villain. Let’s find out!
Is Hugo Weaving in The Matrix Resurrections?
No, Hugo Weaving is not in ‘The Matrix Resurrections.’ The actor was initially approached by the director Lana Wachowski to reprise his role in the film. “Lana was very keen for me to be a part of [The Matrix 4]. I really wanted to because I’m very, very fond of all of them [the cast and crew]. I had some initial reticence about the idea of going back to revisit The Matrix, after having already done three films, but then I read the script and got an offer from my agent. I immediately responded yes to that, and then we went into negotiation,” Weaving said to Collider.
However, scheduling conflicts came in between Weaving’s wish to return as the infamous character. “I was doing a play, at the time, but we [Weaving and Lana Wachowski] were working out dates and things so that I could do both. And then, Lana decided that she didn’t wanna change her dates, so I couldn’t do it. In a nutshell, that’s what happened,” he added. When Weaving became unavailable, Lana and the rest of the screenwriters seemingly changed the character to a younger version. Still, footage of Weaving’s Agent Smith appears in the film as a nod to the legendary performance.
Who Plays Young Agent Smith in the New Matrix?
Jonathan Groff plays the young Agent Smith in ‘The Matrix Resurrections.’ A Grammy Award winner and a two-time Tony Awards nominee, Groff is a popular name in the theater circles, whose Broadway debut was in 2005. Groff was born on March 26, 1985, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The actor earned his first Tony Award nomination in 2007 for his performance in the Broadway musical ‘Spring Awakening.’ He was also part of the recurring cast of famed TV series ‘Glee’ from 2010 to 2015. He lends his voice for Kristoff in the films ‘Frozen’ and ‘Frozen II’ as well.
Groff’s breakthrough came with ‘Mindhunter,’ in which he portrays special agent Holden Ford. In 2016, Groff earned a Best Musical Theater Album Grammy Award for ‘Hamilton,’ along with a Tony Award nomination for his performance as King George III of the United Kingdom. His incredible talent and eye for detail make him a captivating actor to watch. Groff’s upcoming projects include Netflix’s ‘Lost Ollie.’
Groff’s preparation to be the next Smith was rigorous. The actor watched the original trilogy multiple times and read Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein,’ works by Philip K. Dick, and Christopher Isherwood’s ‘The Berlin Stories’ to form his approach to the character. He revealed, “I wanted [The Matrix] to be in my brain in even subconscious ways. The minute I found out that I got this part, I wanted to just have a knowledge and an awareness of that world more than the fan that I was before, to really immerse myself in the world.”
“I was trying to osmosis the original stuff as much as I could,” the actor continued in conversation with EW. In the film, Groff’s Smith is the business partner of Thomas Anderson/Neo (Keanu Reeves). As Neo reopens his mind to the world of the Matrix, Groff’s redefined Smith plays a pivotal role in the chaos that ensues in the simulated reality.
Read More: Is Laurence Fishburne in The Matrix Resurrections? Who Plays Morpheus in the New Matrix?
