The Matrix was lightning in a bottle when it was released in 1999, harnessing not only the Wachowskis’ love for philosophy, but also comic books, anime, martial arts movies, and more. It’s a proper collective of interests from its creators that manages to not only work as an amalgamation of all those things but has gone on to be its own wholly unique story. The film remains iconic even if the three sequels that followed weren’t exactly as well-received as the original (they all do still have their fans, too). Despite everything that’s followed, the singular power of The Matrix remains undisputed.

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Even though 2021’s The Matrix Resurrections failed to light the box office on fire and split critics and audiences down the middle, the series remains something Warner Bros. is thinking about. Project Hail Mary writer Drew Goddard has been tapped to write and direct a new movie in the series, and though we don’t know what it will be, we can’t help but wonder what a new version of the Matrix itself would look like if it arrived today. Though it’s nearly impossibel to consider the modern blockbuster without the influence of The Matrix, we tried, and these modern stars would be perfect fits for the roles.

7) Josh O’Connor as Neo

At the time of The Matrix, Keanu Reeves’ career had been incredibly varied. Not only had he been the center of a fresh comedy series in Bill & Ted, but he also flexed his dramatic muscles in addition to his action work. As Thomas Anderson, aka Neo, in The Matrix, he was able to work in all three of those camps. Josh O’Connor, by comparison, doesn’t really have an action title to his name, but his extensive work on stage and screen in the likes of Challengers, Wake Up Dead Man, The Mastermind, and Emma has proven his acting chops.

An important factor to remember about Neo in the films is that his being “The One” is an unbelievable idea to him, on top of realizing his day job as a programmer is all a facade inside a simulation. Not only does O’Connor have the physique that makes it believable he would be stuck as a programmer within the Matrix, but his range as a performer would allow him to traverse the path of Neo across all of his uncertainty and eventual understanding and acceptance.

6) Maika Monroe as Trinity

Trinity has one of the most distinct arcs in The Matrix, falling in love with Neo in front of our eyes while also maintaining a position as one of Morpheus’ key allies on the ship and in his search for The One. Throughout, she’s portrayed as a confident and stable hacker who tries to keep herself distant from Neo at first before realizing the truth about his place in the Matrix, but her resolve is tested when Morpheus is captured, giving her a few different shades along the way before culminating in the big final act of the film.

Though Carrie-Anne Moss’s role as Trinity was her breakthrough performance, and Maika Monroe has been acting since she was 19, the pair have the same kind of energy that makes the It Follows star feel perfect for a new take on Trinity. Though largely a dramatic and genre actor, with only a handful of action films to her name, Monroe has the physique and range that make her a perfect Trinity

5) Michael B. Jordan as Morpheus

At the time of The Matrix, Laurence Fishburne had been acting on film, tv, and on the stage for decades and had risen to prominence as a performer. All of that was baked into what made the character of Morpheus work, because not only has he clearly been around the block more than once, but he’s a self-assured man who has no qualms about his place in the world. All that in mind, Michael B. Jordan’s career, while not exactly the same as Fishburne’s, is a relatively similar one that gives him the kind of gravitas that audiences would have also associated with Fishburne. It’s also worth noting that as of this writing, Jordan is the same age that Fishburne was when The Matrix was released in theaters.

4) Jack O’Connell as Agent Smith

Though initially presented as a classic antagonist working for the machines within the Matrix, the nuance of Agent Smith is quickly revealed as the villain has selfish ambitions that not only recolor everything he’s done up to that point, but also put him on a distinct path through the film that separates him from the other autonomous villains. Hugo Weaving managed to make a meal of this character, perfecting his American accent to put a little seasoning on every syllable that he has to deliver.

It might be too easy to say that Jack O’Connell, fresh off his villainous roles in Sinners and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, but his work in both of those films proves that the performer is capable of delivering distinct takes on antagonistic forces. O’Connell’s characters feel fully rounded, all convinced that they’re the hero of their story, which is the right temperament required for Agent Smith.

3) Angela Bassett as The Oracle

The main program within the Matrix that actually helps the humans, The Oracle, is a somewhat controversial character after many believe she inhabited a harmful stereotype. The full story of The Oracle across all the films painted a much bigger picture of her place in the world and put some of that to bed, but it’s a character that requires finesse and a solemn presence any time they’re on screen. Angela Bassett naturally has this and gets tapped for major blockbusters not only because of her incredible ability as a performer, but because she has an innate sense of poise and formality that would make her fit into a role like this with ease. It’s also worth noting that Bassett is actually one year older than Gloria Foster (the original The Oracle actress) was at the time of The Matrix.

2) Michael Fassbender as Cypher

The spindly traitor of the crew, Cypher, has a distinct place in the story of The Matrix not only because of his place in turning over Morpheus to the machines, but because the actor who fulfilled that part, Joe Pantoliano, was a well-established actor with a reputation for playing both surprise bad guys and authority figures (like in The Goonies and The Fugitive). As such, a modern take on Cypher should bring a similar level of gravitas, with a familiar face who can conceivably be a member of the crew but who we’re not totally surprised would betray the crew. Though known for his weighty dramatic roles like Shame and Steve Jobs, or his sinister character in 12 Years a Slave, it’s Michael Fassbender’s other work in science fiction that would make him the right person for a new take on Cypher, as his work in the Alien franchise proves he can be sly and conniving under the surface.

1) Sydney Sweeney as The Woman in the Red Dress

As fans of The Matrix know, The Woman in the Red Dress is not real and is a distraction meant to test Neo. Standing out from the crowd with her outfit but also sending a flirtatious glance his way, Neo looks away for one second only to find The Woman in the Red Dress has become an Agent. It’s a scene that showcases how dangerous everyone in the Matrix who isn’t free really is, because they can be taken over by an Agent at any time when the Matrix becomes aware of hacker activity. That in mind, not only does Sydney Sweeney perfectly fit the bill of this character but her appearance as the character would add a meta quality to the film as it would make it clear the machine’s replication of the human world had deep roots and could acknowledge who the sex symbols were of the time it’s copying.