The Matrix 4 Theory: Neil Patrick Harris’ Character Is The Architect
Could Neil Patrick Harris’s character in The Matrix Resurrections be a new form of the Architect? The fourth installment in the Matrix franchise will hit theatres in December 2021, and much of the film’s plot is still shrouded in mystery. One of the biggest sources of speculation is the as-yet-unidentified role that Neil Patrick Harris will be playing. While the general assumption is that he will be portraying a new character, there’s a possibility his role might be far more familiar than initially assumed.
The Matrix Resurrections is set to bring a new dimension to the world established by the iconic 1999 original and will feature the return of Neo (Keanu Reeves) as he navigates the virtual world with no memories of his past actions as The One. While the film’s plot remains largely under wraps, it’s known Neo will encounter familiar faces, relive slightly altered versions of past events, and eventually rise to the occasion and accept his destiny within a new Matrix. However, to do so, he must survive a mysterious force that seems intent on keeping One’s true self repressed.
That mysterious force could very well be the character played by Neil Patrick Harris in the sequel. The trailer reveals him to be Neo’s therapist and the man who has been prescribing the former savior of mankind a lifetime’s supply of the Matrix’s infamous memory-suppressing blue pills. It seems likely Harris’ unnamed therapist will be a central villain during the new installment, but what if he was, in fact, a new version of the Architect? Here’s a look at why this theory might be true, and what it means for The Matrix Resurrections.
The Architect’s Role In The Matrix Sequels
The Architect’s role in the Matrix franchise is a profound one; despite only having limited screen time in the second and third entries, the character’s significance to the history and mechanics of the virtual world cannot be overestimated. First teased via a brief shot of TV monitors watching an imprisoned Neo in the original The Matrix, the Architect made his first official appearance in 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded during a scene in which he explains his functions and the history of the Matrix itself to Neo. Simply put, the Architect is the program responsible for creating the Matrix and also responsible (albeit unwittingly) for Neo’s existence. Throughout the history of the war against the machines, the Architect has acted as the designer for six distinct versions of the Matrix, with each a nearly perfect mathematical creation save for one flaw: the anomalous One who always rises to fight for humanity. In The Matrix Revolutions, the Architect makes a brief appearance following the resetting of the Matrix to its seventh form, where he informs the all-knowing Oracle that those humans who wish to leave will be freed as part of the peace brokered between the machines and Neo.
Why Neil Patrick Harris’ Matrix 4 Character Could Be The Architect
Given the deep connection he has with the very essence of the Matrix itself, the Architect’s presence in The Matrix Resurrections wouldn’t be at all surprising. It’s also known the Architect had a fascination with Neo; as the one inescapable anomaly within an otherwise perfect simulation of his design, the Architect saw Neo as a curiosity and a representation of his imperfections as a creator. If Harris is truly playing the Architect, then posing as his therapist would make sense, as it would allow the Architect to study Neo, get inside his head, and perhaps better understand his powers. By prescribing him blue pills (and, according to another theory, perhaps imprisoning his mind in a simulation separate from both the Matrix and the real world), the Architect can also keep tabs on Neo and restrict him from once again realizing his full potential.
Having Harris play the Architect would also fit within the franchise’s established explanations for characters changing physical appearances. In Revolutions, the Oracle is seen to change her form after her outer shell is destroyed, and Morpheus will have undergone an apparent change in the fourth film too. With the Architect’s original actor Helmut Bakaitis unattached to the project, the character may have been recast for The Matrix Resurrections. While Neil Patrick Harris is best known for playing likable and even heroic characters, his repertoire also includes villainous roles like the malevolent Count Olaf in Netflix’s Series of Unfortunate Events adaptation. His focus and intensity as an actor could be a perfect fit for portraying the cold and calculating Architect.
Evidence Against The Architect Theory
As exciting as the theory of Harris playing the Architect is, it must be stressed there is no concrete proof that this is the case. There is nothing in the trailer for The Matrix Resurrections to suggest Harris’s character is a returning human or program from the previous films and only circumstantial evidence he could be connected to the Architect. However, the fact that Harris’ Matrix character is prescribing memory-repressing pills points to him being a villain, and there are plenty of possibilities for what kind of villain he could be.
It’s possible Harris’ therapist could be acting as a form of the jailer to Neo, a Matrix program designed specifically to keep The One in check. In a series filled with programs with names like the Oracle, the Architect, the Keymaker, or the Merovingian, having Harris play a character with a name like “The Jailer” or “The Guardian’ wouldn’t be out of the ordinary. There’s also the possibility Harris is playing an Agent, with some Matrix enthusiasts even suggesting he could be a new incarnation of Neo’s most famous nemesis Agent Smith, previously played by Hugo Weaving. It’s even been theorized Harris’ character isn’t a villain, but simply a side character with no ulterior motives. However, given the therapist’s subtly threatening nature and elements of his character design (especially his blue glasses) hinting at his connection to the conspiracy to repress Neo’s memories, the suggestion he won’t be playing a villain in The Matrix Resurrections is easily the most far-fetched theory of the lot.