Actor Joe Pantoliano, famous for his role as the treacherous Cypher in the iconic film The Matrix, recently revealed his enduring resentment towards the Wachowskis for what he calls a “lie” regarding his character’s fate.
During a panel at New York Comic Con, Pantoliano shared that he had specifically requested a script alteration to ensure Cypher’s survival, harboring hopes of a return in future installments of the beloved franchise. However, as fans know, Cypher’s on-screen journey concludes abruptly when he’s electrocuted by a lightning gun and dramatically removed from the scene after betraying Neo’s allies.
Recounting a pivotal phone call with the directorial sisters, Pantoliano recalled, “I said, ‘Hey, you can’t kill me, right? You’re not gonna kill me?'” He overheard Lilly relaying his plea to Lana, who, fully aware Pantoliano could hear, casually responded, “Well, just lie to him and we’ll kill him anyway.”
While Cypher’s death was never explicitly confirmed on screen, he never reappeared in subsequent films. His demise was later established as canon in The Matrix Online, the franchise’s now-defunct MMO, which the Wachowskis intended as a continuation of their saga. Cypher’s legacy even inspired the “Cypherites,” an in-game faction driven by his beliefs and a longing to return to the simulated reality, despising their true existence.
Pantoliano’s frustration bubbled over as he exclaimed, “Don’t get me started, all right? They brought f***ing Agent Smith back. It’s The Matrix!” He pointed out the irony that Hugo Weaving’s character, Agent Smith, also met his end in the original film but was famously resurrected for the sequels.
The Matrix franchise itself is set for a continuation, with Warner Bros. reportedly eager to keep the property alive despite the mixed reception to 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections. (For context, IGN’s review gave the film a 4/10, describing it as “a bunch of really good ideas stacked together to make a bad — and sometimes ugly — film.”)
Last year, it was announced that celebrated TV writer Drew Goddard, known for his work on shows like Buffy, Alias, Lost, Daredevil, and The Good Place, will be writing and directing a new Matrix movie. This marks a significant shift, as it will be the first installment not helmed by one of the Wachowskis. Perhaps, with this new direction, there might still be a glimmer of hope for Cypher’s return after all?