The Matrix Franchise: A Tale of Recasting Agent Smith

The Matrix Resurrections: A Risky Recast

The Matrix franchise recently made headlines for its recasting of the iconic character, Agent Smith, in The Matrix Resurrections. This decision sparked controversy among fans and critics alike, leading to discussions about the success of the recast.

Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as Neo and Trinity looking out at the sunset in The Matrix Resurrections

Recasting iconic characters is always a risky move, as the new performances risk not living up to the legendary status of their predecessors. Agent Smith's recast is a famous example of a recast gone wrong, and while it didn't work in The Matrix Resurrections, The Matrix franchise had already proven that recasting Agent Smith wasn't impossible.

Jonathan Groff's Agent Smith stands in front of Neo smiling in The Matrix Resurrections

The Matrix Revolutions: A Masterful Recast

The Matrix franchise had already executed a successful recast of Agent Smith 18 years earlier in The Matrix Revolutions. In this film, a different actor portrayed Agent Smith, and the result was a much better iteration of the character compared to The Matrix Resurrections.

Bane sitting at a table in The Matrix Revolutions

A different actor got to play Agent Smith back in The Matrix Revolutions, and this iteration of the character was much better than Jonathan Groff's Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections. In the film, Agent Smith needs to travel to the real world in order to stop the resistance. Thus, he took over Bane's body while he was jacked into the Matrix, allowing Smith to have a real-world form.

Agent Thompson The Matrix Resurrections Matt McColm

This twisted real-world version of Agent Smith was a lot of fun, mostly because it is a great iteration of Smith. Actor Ian Bliss plays Bane in the series, and he is able to perfectly recreate the campy seriousness of Hugo Weaving's original Agent Smith performance. The film also sets the story up in a way where any inconsistencies or odd performance quirks can be written up to Agent Smith trying to blend in with the humans, which was a brilliant move on the part of the writers.

agent johnson the matrix resurrections daniel bernhardt

The Flawed Recast in The Matrix Resurrections

On the other hand, Jonathan Groff's version of Agent Smith in The Matrix Resurrections just doesn't work. Groff does have his moments, but he simply isn't able to recapture the magic of Hugo Weaving's performance. This version of Smith doesn't seem nearly as serious as Hugo Weaving's character, leading to him being a lesser version of the iconic character.

Jonathan Groff just isn't able to bring as much intensity or seriousness to the role as Hugo Weaving was, making Agent Smith feel like much less of a threat. Many of the lines feel like jokes in the hands of Jonathan Groff, and while he is a fantastic actor in projects like Mindhunter and Frozen, the role of Agent Smith may just not have been for him. It's possible that another actor could have made the Agent Smith recast work, as The Matrix franchise proved back in The Matrix Revolutions.