Will Smith has dropped a cryptic video on Instagram, hinting at joining the cast of the fifth instalment of Keanu Reeves’ hit science fiction-thriller franchise, The Matrix.

The short clip features the iconic green computer font typing the message: “In 1997, 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?”.

The screen then goes blank. The text “Wake up, Will... The Matrix has you…” appears next.

The video took the internet by storm, with fans expressing their excitement in the comments section. “Will and Keanu together in the next Matrix movie, please don't give me false hopes,” one of them wrote. “This better be real😮‍💨🔥,” another fan commented.

American rapper Chance the Rapper took to the comments section to write, “Make it happen.”

The Matrix franchise, created by the Wachowski siblings, follows protagonist Neo as he discovers the truth about humanity's enslavement in a simulated reality and joins a group of rebels to fight against advanced technologies.

Beginning with the iconic 1999 film The Matrix, the franchise has had three sequels — 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded, 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions, and 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections.

In April 2024, Warner Bros. officially confirmed that an upcoming instalment of The Matrix is currently in the works with The Martian screenwriter Drew Goddard as director. Since plot and cast details of the film have been kept under wraps, it is unclear whether Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss will reprise their roles as Neo and Trinity, respectively.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Neil Patrick Harris, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Jonathan Groff, who joined the franchise in The Matrix Resurrections (2021) have also not been confirmed for the upcoming film.

Matrix 5 will mark the first film in the franchise to not have Lana or Lilly Wachowski as the directors. However, Lana, who has directed the Matrix movies over the years, will serve as the executive producer for the film.