When The Merovingian returns in The Matrix 4, could he bring the vampires and werewolves of past simulations with him? After The Matrix Revolutions completed the Wachowskis' original trilogy in 2003, few were expecting Neo to make a big screen return. Sure, The Oracle might've left The One's fate open-ended, but the story landed on the most conclusive note possible for such an infamously vague series. Regardless, speculation regarding a new Matrix movie, has arisen repeatedly over the years, but it wasn't until 2019 that a fourth entry was officially announced, picking up from the previous trilogy and once again starring Keanu Reeves as Neo.

And it won't just be Reeves returning for 2022's Matrix adventure. Neo will be joined by his lover, Carrie-Anne Moss' Trinity, and Jada Pinkett-Smith will reportedly return as Niobe, first introduced in The Matrix Reloaded. Although Hugo Weaving won't be appearing in The Matrix 4, the actor did confirm that he was approached, potentially confirming Agent Smith with a brand new face. Another character expected to return in The Matrix 4 is The Merovingian, played by Lambert Wilson.

Making his debut in The Matrix Reloaded, The Merovingian is an ancient, now obsolete, program within the Matrix. Operating akin to an underground crime lord, The Merovingian harbors deleted programs known as exiles, sheltering them from removal. Despite his influence in the digital world, The Merovingian lusts after greater power, and refuses to cooperate with Neo when The One comes looking for The Keymaker, putting the two factions at odds. If The Merovingian does return in The Matrix 4, his appearance would open up a raft of exciting possibilities.

The Merovingian's Return In The Matrix 4 Explained


The Merovingian's most recent appearance came in The Matrix Revolutions, as Trinity forced the shady Frenchman to release Neo from the Mobil Avenue prison. From there, the villain's role is minimal, and his ultimate fate remains unaddressed. Agent Smith suggests that he absorbed all the other exile programs over the course of his digital binge-eating spree, and this may or may not include The Merovingian. However, Smith also absorbed The Oracle, who is alive and well (figuratively speaking) when the new Matrix begins in the trilogy's final scenes. Whether The Merovingian escaped the rampaging Smith, or was absorbed and released upon Neo's victory, he's surely still coded into the new-look simulation.

The Merovingian's fortunes in The Matrix 4 could go one of two ways. Since humans are now permitted to leave the simulation, The Merovingian and his exiles might exert their power and influence further, essentially taking over the Matrix following the human exodus. Alternatively, Neo's victory over The Machines might've scuppered The Merovingian's stranglehold over the exiles. As the Matrix becomes more peaceful without the Agents around, exiles will have an easier life, and with Sati, once an exile herself, now in a position of power, refugee programs scared for their lives needn't necessarily turn to The Merovingian for help.

Since The Merovingian wasn't a main villain in the original Matrix trilogy, he's unlikely to be promoted to lead antagonist for the upcoming sequel. More likely, Lambert Wilson's character will continue being a point of information for the good guys - a helpful plot device to connect Neo and Trinity to the deeper lore of the Matrix.

The Merovingian's Return Means The Matrix 4 Can Include Werewolves & Vampires


Perhaps the most exciting aspect of The Merovingian's Matrix return is the selection of toys he can bring along for the ride. Pompous and arrogant he may be, but The Merovingian is also wise and well-resourced, with many loyal followers. Two such subjects are Cain and Abel, the biblical themed duo who serve at The Merovingian's side in The Matrix Reloaded. Cain, modeled on a vampire, and Abel, a werewolf program, both derive from the second Matrix, which The Architect describes as a Nightmare. Although this dystopian Matrix failed, The Merovingian retained some of the programs for his own ends, including this supernatural duo. Both characters die in The Matrix Reloaded, and the concept of paranormal creatures populating the Matrix arguably went underused.

Cain and Abel might be deceased, but fortunately, mortality doesn't appear to be a problem in The Matrix 4, with both Neo and Trinity coming back. Theories as to how these characters return involve revisiting past versions of the Matrix, accessing backup files, and time travel, all of which would allow Cain and Abel to be resurrected also. However well The Merovingian is faring in the new Matrix, he'll surely want his most loyal minions at his side, and Cain and Abel would be the first on his list to reactivate. The Merovingian has always been a wily villain, especially when it comes to exiles, so if anyone can find a cheat code to restore deleted programs, it's him. During his original run, The Merovingian's chief aim was to take the power of The Oracle. There's no reason to think The Merovingian would abandon this goal, so rebuilding his forces makes sense. By the timeline of The Matrix 4, The Merovingian might've even won his ongoing feud with The Oracle, allowing unparalleled access into the archives of the Matrix. Dead henchmen, useful soldiers, past versions of The One - everything could be at The Merovingian's fingertips.

Even if Cain and Abel are truly dead in The Matrix, other werewolves, vampires and monsters could still appear. Should The Matrix 4 incorporate time travel or past versions of the Matrix, this paves the way for a trip to the Nightmare Matrix, giving Lana Wachowski a trove of horror influences to draw from. This openness is one of most exciting promises The Matrix 4 makes. The original trilogy was about winning back the real world from The Machines; that goal was achieved, and now characters are returning from the dead, Morpheus is young again (allegedly) and The Merovingian is back. All bets are off in The Matrix 4, meaning vampires, werewolves, ghouls, demons and more - all potentially at the beck and call of The Merovingian.

What Else The Merovingian Can Bring Back In The Matrix 4


The possibilities of The Merovingian extend beyond just the denizens of the Nightmare Matrix. The villain could potentially bring back The Twins, another pair of minions he enlisted in The Matrix Reloaded. The fate of these ghostly assassins was left open, but if The Merovingian is still alive in The Matrix 4, it's natural to expect The Twins will still be loyal to their master. Vitally, The Merovingian was also a collector - a purveyor of relics from his long years in the Matrix. There must be plenty of secrets in The Merovingian's network that Neo and the audience never saw in the original trilogy, from powerful figures such as The Trainman to useful prisoners like The Keymaker. The Matrix 4 could offer a closer look at The Merovingian's army of servants.

The more intriguing possibility is what would happen if The Merovingian possessed the means to bring back deleted programs in The Matrix 4. After reviving Cain and Abel and reestablishing dominance following the Agent Smith debacle, The Merovingian could receive a request from Morpheus to digitally reassemble Neo and Trinity. This would obviously come at a cost (which perhaps explains Laurence Fishburne's absence), and might account for why Keanu Reeves looks like a regular, older citizen in on-set photos. On the other hand, The Merovingian might bring back Agent Smith. Lana Wachowski's interest in rehiring Hugo Weaving proves Smith was at least considered for The Matrix 4, but how could he return? Such is the hubris of The Merovingian, he might revive Smith in an attempt to fashion a powerful new henchmen out of the former Agent.

The Merovingian essentially acted as a plot device in the original Matrix trilogy - a conduit for other characters such as The Keymaker, The Trainman and The Twins, as well as the concept of the Nightmare Matrix. The character will probably serve a similar function in The Matrix 4, but the real question is what The Merovingian will be used to introduce. Will he be the key to unlocking hidden, older parts of the Matrix? The source behind the glut of returning dead characters? Or will The Merovingian usher in a new era of horror to The Matrix 4 by tapping into the Nightmare Matrix?

The Matrix 4 (2022)
Release Date: Apr 01, 2022