Hey, remember The Merovingian? The weird vampire (I think?) from The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions? Well, he’s back. Lambert Wilson, who played the character, is reportedly in negotiations to appear in The Matrix 4, the mysterious new sequel being directed by Lana Wachowski. In other Matrix 4 casting news, Eréndira Ibarra, who worked with Wachowski on Sense8, is now part of the team as well.

I know The Matrix sequels have their defenders, but I’m not one of them. The first Matrix remains an all-time great movie. The two follow-up films? Not so much! But fans of those two sequels might be excited by the news that The Merovingian, one of the many goofy characters introduced in the sequels, is coming back for The Matrix 4.

According to Allocine, Merovingian actor Lambert Wilson says he’s in talks to reprise the role, schedule permitting. Per the Matrix Wiki, “The Merovingian (sometimes called The Frenchman) is an old, powerful program that resides within the Matrix. Self-described as a “trafficker of information”, the Merovingian behaves much as a leader of a powerfully organized crime syndicate. He and his wife Persephone operate a smuggling ring providing a haven for exiled programs in the Matrix.” Monica Bellucci played Persephone, which begs the question: is she coming back as well?

Meanwhile, Deadline says Eréndira Ibarra, who appeared on Sense8, is part of The Matrix 4 cast now as well. There’s no info on Ibarra’s character, though. Ibarra joins a line-up that includes returning cast members Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith, and franchise newbies Jessica Henwick, Neil Patrick Harris, Toby Onwumere, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. We know very little about The Matrix 4, but rumor has it that Abdul-Mateen II is playing a younger version of Morpheus, Laurence Fishburne’s character, which might hint that this movie is a prequel. Fishburne has yet to be announced as returning, which is a little odd.

The Matrix 4 is set to hit theaters May 21, 2021, the same day as another Keanu Reeves movie, John Wick 4.

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