Keanu Reeves could be playing a character other than Neo in The Matrix Revolutions, Reeves' character had achieved exactly that.
Ever since the original Matrix trilogy came to a close in 2003, fans have speculated about a possible fourth chapter, but only in 2019 was The Matrix 4 officially announced. In further cause for celebration, many names from the initial series were confirmed as returning for more philosophical gun-fu fun. Aside from co-creator Lana Wachowski writing and directing, The Matrix 4's cast will include Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss (Trinity), Lambert Wilson (The Merovingian) and, reportedly, Jada Pinkett-Smith as Niobe. The presence of so many familiar faces would seem to confirm that The Matrix 4 is a continuation rather than a traditional, full-on reboot.
Details regarding plot and character in The Matrix 4 remain unsurprisingly scarce at present. Given the mind-bending nature of the Wachowskis' world, it's also near-impossible to tell which direction the series will take in 2021. Nevertheless, The Matrix's reputation for questioning the nature of reality will surely remain unchanged, and this means big surprises are almost certainly in store, one of which could be Keanu Reeves playing an entirely different character in The Matrix 4.
Neo Died At The End Of Matrix Revolutions
Keanu Reeves' return in The Matrix 4 comes with the problematic caveat that Neo actually died at the end of the original trilogy. As per the secret machinations of The Oracle, the program once known as Agent Smith had gone rogue and amassed so much power that he became a threat to both Zion and the Machines. This allowed Neo to strike a deal with humanity's oppressors, ending the war and starting the process of releasing folk from the Matrix; in return Neo would do everyone a favor by taking down Smith. The arrangement worked out, with Zion spared from destruction and The Architect keeping that promise of unplugging humans from the Matrix. Sadly, the only way Neo could truly kill Smith was allowing the villain to absorb him, thereby giving his own life.
If Neo does return in The Matrix 4, this is obviously something the film must address. Crazier stuff has happened in the world of The Matrix, especially when it comes to The One, so a resurrection certainly isn't out of the question, and Neo's potential return was also hinted at in The Matrix Online. The video game was touted as a canon sequel to The Matrix Revolutions and strongly suggested that Neo's code still existed within the Matrix, while another key plot saw the Machines strangely refuse to turn Neo's body over to Morpheus for burial. Neo's return has, therefore, been set up, but The Matrix 4 would still have much explaining to do. A fresher route might be to keep Neo dead and have Keanu Reeves playing a different character altogether.
Neo Wasn't The First "One" In The Matrix
For a character so often referred to as The One, Neo is actually far from unique in the world of The Matrix. As revealed by The Architect, the Machines struggled greatly in creating a simulated world that mankind would actually accept. Ultimately, it was a subconscious sense of choice (Red Pill/Blue Pill) that stabilized the Matrix and the concept of The One was another element of that process. All of humanity's doubt and skepticism would be channeled into a random human, designated to act as humanity's savior and given greater abilities in order to achieve this. The One was destined to confront The Architect at the Source, at which point the truth would be revealed and The One would be given a choice between restarting the Matrix or complete human genocide.
This same story had cycled through five times before the events of the Agent Smith allows him to strike a new path forward where all of humanity is spared. Neo might've just been the latest in a long line of "Ones" but his unique choice undoubtedly makes him the most important of the bunch.
Theory: Keanu Reeves Is The Next Version Of The One
At the climax of The Matrix Revolutions, the Matrix itself is rebooted, but the future of The One remains somewhat foggy. Since humans are now offered the chance to leave the Matrix, the imbalance and disquiet that usually causes The One is long gone, suggesting Neo might've been the last of his kind before the idea of The One was rendered obsolete. Of course, the very fact The Matrix 4 is happening at all means peace between man and machine was not long-lasting. After a period where The One simply wouldn't have been necessary, the trouble befalling the world in The Matrix 4 might kickstart the process once again, leading to the creation of a new "One" who will come and sort out everyone's problems.
Many Matrix fans have theorized that all versions of The One might've actually come in the guise of Neo, each looking suspiciously like Keanu Reeves. This is even implied by The Matrix Reloaded when The Architect shows Neo the reactions of his predecessors, all of whom are played by Reeves. However, these monitor images are likely just a design choice, since it would make little sense for every previous version of The One to be Neo. The code of The One might be the same on each occasion, but it manifests randomly for each Matrix cycle. If each simulation had its own Keanu Reeves, the Machines would have to clone Neo over and over, which isn't even vaguely alluded to in the Matrix movies.
The post-Revolutions Matrix world where humans can choose to eject from the simulation would leave far less potential candidates for The One to inhabit. With problems beginning to resurface and desperately needing someone to take the role of The One, perhaps the Matrix generates the next version by itself, creating a digital copy of the previous figure - Neo. After all, he was both the most recent and the only real success story. In this sense, Keanu Reeves' The Matrix 4 character could look like Neo, but would actually be the seventh version of The One, completely devoid of his predecessor's memories and experiences. This would come with the drawback of not being able to exist outside of the Matrix itself, which would cast Reeves' character as more of a digital mentor than a lead protagonist - not necessarily a bad thing if the franchise is looking to the baton to a new generation.
The emotional through-line of The Matrix 4 could then be a revived Trinity's struggle to be around a man who looks like Neo, but fundamentally isn't. Trinity's presence might then gradually awaken the memories of the original Neo over the course of the story, with Reeves eventually becoming his old self in time for the big finale.
