Hey, did you know that in The Lord of the Rings, when Viggo Mortensen kicked the helmet, he broke his toe and was actually screaming for real? What's that, you did? Everyone knows? Ahh. Well then. It seems there are some pieces of cinematic trivia that have long since ceased to be trivia and are now just 'things people know'. That The Matrix is an allegory for gender transition is another piece of such trivia, with the Wachowskis writing and directing the movie pre-transition, and the red pill acting as a stand-in for HRT, which was red at the time. Neo was even supposed to change gender in The Matrix to underline this symbolism, but the executives thought it was too complex an idea, so it was cut, much like many of the film's most original concepts. That it manages to be such a masterpiece even after interference is testament to its inherent greatness, and a huge reason to be excited for the long-awaited fourth entry in the series, but its ideas on transness are just as exciting.
We typically talk about The Matrix as if these cuts weren't made, as if it still is an allegory for transition. As a trans person myself, I know how important that reading of The Matrix is, and I know it matters enough to the directors that Lana is keen to revisit it with new depth while Lilly is happy to wash her hands of it, having lived as her authentic self for a decade now and seeing no need to return to a story about what it means to begin transition. I get that The Matrix is indelibly linked to the idea of transition, but most of the powerful ideas in this regard have been chopped up and thrown out by men in suits. With Resurrections, Lana Wachowski has far more sway in Hollywood, and far more license to explore trans themes explicitly.
The genderflip idea is probably out, at least as far as Neo is concerned. Keanu Reeves' star power must have been crucial to getting this project off the ground, and the studio - though less able to meddle than before - will still want maximum screen time for their leading man. Other ideas are certainly there for the taking though, especially after Sense8 tackled trans issues so well. While I don't know where Resurrections will go - or even where I want it to go - it feels as if there is an understanding that this time, the themes the trilogy has always not-so-secretly been interested in will be brought to the forefront like never before.
It's the perfect time for a new Matrix, and it's also a chance to address the idea of being 'redpilled'. In the original movie, Neo chooses the red pill to awaken his mind, enter the Matrix, and, thematically at least, transition. Ironically, these days most HRT pills are actually blue, not red, but the symbolism still stands. Since The Matrix though, the idea of the red pill has been idiotically co-opted by conservatives to essentially mean 'anti-woke', while the incel movement have gone further and coined the term ‘blackpilled’ for anyone who subscribes to their ideology. Elon Musk famously tweeted about taking the red pill, to which Ivanka Trump excitedly agreed, only for Lilly Wachowski to succinctly reply 'fuck both of you'. The red pill has been stolen from The Matrix, and stolen from its own symbolism, given instead to a narrow-minded, divisive rhetoric that often incorporates racism, misogyny, and most disappointingly, transphobia into its world view. Resurrections is a chance to take the idea back.
It's very deliberate that the trailer begins with the phrase "you seem particularly triggered right now" - while 'triggered' used to be a useful phrase in mental health circles to describe events, associations, or memories that could set off a trauma response, it too has been co-opted by the right, particularly amongst online trolls. Anyone marginally upset, annoyed, or even critical can seemingly have their entire argument disarmed online by the phrase "triggered." It's a digital "your mom," a reply of no substance or merit, designed only to frustrate further and claim an empty victory in the Twittersphere when the other person gets bored and stops replying or blocks you from their life. It’s deliberately used to provoke trans people - amongst others - and its use here cements Neo as a stand-in for trans people and weaponises the idea of the original red pill against the alt-right trolls who have stolen it. It's exactly the kind of thing many Elon Musk fans and avid redpillers replied to Lilly Wachowski with when she told him to get fucked.
The Matrix 4 will be a movie that is very aware of the original trilogy's place in the cultural zeitgeist, particularly the first entry. It will know what a Matrix movie is, what people think it should be, and what people think it should not be - and it will actively play against some of these expectations. But it has always been a deeply trans movie in the minds of its creators, even if that hasn’t always been explicitly represented on screen. This time around, expect The Matrix to double down on those ideas.