There are few movies as groundbreaking as the Wachowskis' three-part masterpiece—its revolutionary CGI and phenomenally choreographed action sequences helped renovate the Cyberpunk genre in the context of blockbuster cinema.
Despite delving rather deep into philosophy and metaphysics, The Matrix failed to properly resolve the dozens of plotlines that were opened up over the course of the trilogy. Although leaving threads untied isn't all that uncommon, The Matrix has been given a rare chance to untangle its complicated web in the form of a fourth film, Resurrections.
7 Why Haven't The Machines Left The Planet?
Humans naturally sought to subjugate their creations, refusing to treat A.I. consciousnesses with the same rights (or even basic courtesy). After heated conflicts, the Machines chose to create a nation for themselves, Zero One, which was so powerful that world leaders decided to nuke them out of fear.
The plan was a massive failure, and it led to the annihilation of the world after Operation Dark Storm—by preventing access to sunlight, ecosystems collapsed, taking agriculture and everything else with them. What doesn't make sense is that the Machines should have been capable of fixing the sunlight problem with ease, or at the very least, leaving the destroyed planet behind. Matrix Resurrections may have an answer.
6 The Entire History Of The One
Neo is the sixth incarnation of the Prime Program, a characteristic innately encoded into the Matrix that helps collect and consolidate human consciousnesses considered as "anomalies." This obviously means that the entire process has been repeated six times before, with six Ones taking the same journey of discovery as Neo.
The only difference is that Neo's predecessors accept the Architect's explanation and Zion's inevitable destruction and reestablishment. Little to nothing is known about these entities, giving Matrix 4 the perfect chance to flesh out a few relevant backstories.
5 Batteries Vs. Neural Networks
The Matrix and the Machines that created it are supposedly powered by energy generated by humans, a combination of thermal and electrical energy that is an essential part of the Machines' diet, so to speak. Nearly every human on Earth for the past several hundred years has been born in a pod, where they spend their whole lives connected via the neural circuitry of the Matrix, unconsciously delivering their bioelectricity until they die and are recycled.
However, humans needn't be kept conscious in any state if their only purpose is producing energy, suggesting that the Matrix has a bigger role to play than at first glance. Matrix Resurrections could very well shed some light on why the system is necessary in the first place.
4 The Tenuous Balance Between Human & Machine
Zion is considerably large in population, containing over a quarter-million people, but it obviously pales in comparison with the billions of bluepills still trapped in the Matrix. The Resistance has been fighting for their freedom for a long time, and their prayers are answered when Neo appears before them as the One.
Unbeknownst to Zionians, the One's actual responsibility lies in maintaining the structural integrity of the Matrix itself, a secret that is intentionally kept from them by the Machines. However, since the One is expected to select 16 survivors from the previous iteration of Zion, it seems likely that future generations would be aware of their fate. This is not the case in the trilogy, but it's fertile ground for the sequel to sow new narratives.
3 Neo's Extra-Matrix Magic Skills
Until his first death in the Matrix, Neo is unable to prove that he's truly The One. After Agent Smith kills him, however, Neo awakens with an incredible array of powers, including telekinesis, hypersonic speed, augmented strength and durability, flight, and so on. In fact, he is shown to be so powerful that his mere existence can distort the reality of the Matrix, but these abilities are expected from The One.
Unfortunately, Smith (in Bane's body) manages to burn Neo blind—in real life, where he's not supposed to have any sort of special power. And yet, he can somehow perceive his environment in the form of golden waves of light. The mechanics of Neo's direct line to the Source demand further extrapolation.
2 The Various Versions Of The Matrix
The Architect states that six centuries have passed since the Machine War, which means that the movie is set around 2699. He also mentions that humans were originally "enslaved" by the Machines, forcing them to generate energy without offering them a mental escape route. As a result, the first Matrix was born, "a work of art—flawless, sublime," but it proved to be a "monumental failure."
The second version, known as the nightmare Matrix, also collapsed because it could not replicate the needs of the human psyche. It finally fell to the Oracle to solve the crisis by creating a system embedded with the illusion of choice. These earlier versions of the Matrix are interesting to consider, not only in the context of Neo's Matrix, but the one that he creates through his sacrifice.
1 How Is Neo Alive Again?
Neo revolts against the Machines, asking the Deus Ex Machina to spare the people of Zion in exchange for Agent Smith. He doesn't survive the process, or so it appears when his "corpse" is gently and respectfully lowered to the floor. However, when Sati asks the Oracle if Neo will ever return, she offers an ambiguous, verging on the positive, response.
Matrix Resurrections has an older version of Neo as its protagonist, but even the clues present in the trailer don't quite satisfy fan curiosity. Is this Neo the same one as before? Is he a human or a program or yet another glitch in the Matrix? The upcoming movie will hopefully be able to resolve this very basic conundrum.