"The Matrix: Resurrections" (The Matrix 4) is released nearly 20 years after the theatrical release of "The Matrix Revolutions": Nearly 20 years after the theatrical release of "Revolutions" (go to the cinema, what an idea!), fans like me of the iconic Fans of the sci-fi action series braced themselves for a return to digital (non-)reality. And we were greeted with surprise.

Those who couldn't wait to see the trailer for Thursday's "The Matrix: The Matrix: Reborn" were not disappointed. Sure enough, Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss reprised their roles as Neo and Trinity. Then, about 70 seconds into the trailer, a character appeared who seemed to represent Morpheus, but it was not the Morpheus we remember.

Oh, and the new "Matrix 4" trailer also seems to feature a new Agent Smith. Strange.

Fishburne, who played Morpheus in the first three Matrix films, confirmed earlier this year that he will not return for the upcoming film. When asked about the question he received, the actor told Collider, "It would make sense for people to ask me that, so it never gets old. I'm not in the next 'Matrix' movie, and you'd have to ask Lana Woschowski why. [Keanu Reeves told "The One Show" that the film will not rewind things and said, "No, no. There is no going back in time."

And hopefully one day Lana Woschowski will explain why Fishburne is not in "Matrix 4."

And actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, who plays Morpheus in the trailer, took to social media to clarify things. The Instagram post below shows a photo of him with two guns crossed, one firing, captioned "MORPHEUS #TheMatrixMovie," letting us know that the role has definitely been taken over.

You may be familiar with Abdul-Mateen II from Aquaman and the 2021 version of Candyman. He has proven his acting and action talents in those films. But this still does not seem right.

While some internet sites have given legitimate suggestions as to why he is not there, the fact that they are asking about Morpheus, whom we know and love, is ironic. The first "Matrix" film presents a series of existential questions, essentially an existential crisis. Who will save us from that crisis? Fishburne: "All I offer is the truth," he says.

The first words this presumed incarnation of Morpheus said in Thursday's trailer were "Time to fly." It seemed promising, especially when we saw Neo choose the red pill instead of the blue pill in the next frame. But he couldn't pull off the suit, just as the character, played by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, was dressed in attractive but casual-fitting clothes.

Morpheus, played by Fishburne, did not join Neo until much later in the early series. He spent much of his time being a guide and a wise man. When we think about Morpheus and flight, we think about the role that Nebuchadnezzar's hovercraft played not only in Neo's liberation but also in the liberation of Zion. I think of Morpheus' trust in Neo, and how it never wavered, even when Neo expressed doubt in the first action-packed office sequence, and of Morpheus' delay in saving "The One" when he was ambushed in Cipher's trap.

The (new) Morpheus and Neo sparring also reappeared in the approximately three-minute trailer, and while the exchange may have suggested that the Neo we know may have changed a bit, the "fight" clip we saw was undeniably one-sided. The Morpheus I know would not have allowed Neo to perform "super moves" like knocking over the entire dojo. And this Morpheus does not seem to be the sage we know.

When we were wondering what the hell was going on in the first movie, Fishburne gave us (and Neo) perspective: [The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our enemy. But when you go in and look around, what do you see? Businessmen, teachers, lawyers, carpenters. These are the very minds of the people we are trying to save. But until we do, these people are still part of the system and are our enemies. What you have to understand is that most of these people are not ready to pull the plug. And many of them are so used to the system and so hopelessly dependent on it that they will fight to protect it.

Even without Fishburne, these words ring in my ears when I see everyone in the trailer for "Matrix 4" except Neo (and the ruler above him) in the elevator, hooked and trapped on their cell phones. And that, I think, will be my consolation when the series transitions without Fishburne. Even if he is not in the film, the ideas and wisdom that Fishburne represented will live on. I can only hope that this Morpheus will remain the wise man he was in the original.