Sometimes, Hollywood’s biggest “what if” moments are just too juicy not to think about. Like, imagine Robert Redford as Michael Corleone. Or Tom Selleck as Indiana Jones? Now picture this: The Matrix with none other than Big Willie himself, Will Smith, as Neo. Yeah, that could’ve happened—but didn’t. Instead, Smith gave us Wild Wild West. And, as he’s made clear, he’s been kicking himself ever since.
Let’s break it down. It’s 1998, and Will Smith is riding high. He’d just crushed two summer blockbusters in a row with Independence Day (1996) and Men in Black (1997). He’s untouchable—Miami and Gettin’ Jiggy With It are everywhere. So when the Wachowskis pitch him this movie called The Matrix, Smith just isn’t feeling it. He passes.
Jump to 2019 at the Gemini Man premiere, and that decision still lingers. Asked what he’d tell his younger self, Smith didn’t hold back: “I’d go back to the Wild Wild West [set] and say, ‘Asshole, why didn’t you make The Matrix?’” Yeah, he totally owned it.
But why did he pass on it in the first place?
Well, back in the late ’90s, Smith was all about becoming the biggest movie star. He wasn’t just looking for good scripts—he was looking for blockbuster scripts. So when the Wachowskis walked in with their high-concept, slightly awkward pitch about slowing down time and seeing 360 degrees mid-jump, Smith wasn’t sold. He described it as a fine line between “genius” and something else.
So, instead of The Matrix, we got Wild Wild West—the steampunk action comedy with giant mechanical spiders and, yeah, Smith in chaps. And in case you didn’t know, Smith isn’t exactly a fan of that movie. He’s publicly dissed it more than once, even calling it “a thorn in my side.” Ouch.
In his own words, Smith admits, “I had so much success that I started to taste global blood.” Translation: He got caught up in the fame game. He wasn’t chasing roles that inspired him; he was chasing the win. So, when Wild Wild West came along, it seemed like a no-brainer—reunite with Men in Black director Barry Sonnenfeld, throw in some high-concept action and comedy, and boom, another blockbuster, right?
Well, not quite.
One of the biggest issues with Wild Wild West was that both Smith and co-star Kevin Kline wanted to be the “funny guy.” Unlike Men in Black, where Tommy Lee Jones played it straight, giving Smith room to shine, Wild Wild West had two leads vying for the same spotlight—and, honestly, neither quite nailed it.
Smith has since admitted he wasn’t promoting the film because he believed in it. He was promoting it because he thought it would sell. “My focus shifted from my artistry to winning,” he explained. And when you’re just trying to win without passion behind the project? Well, you end up promoting Wild Wild West instead of starring in The Matrix.
What makes Smith’s regret even juicier?
If he had taken the role of Neo, it wouldn’t have been the same Matrix we know and love today. Smith mentioned that if he had played Neo, Laurence Fishburne wouldn’t have been cast as Morpheus. Instead, the studio was eyeing Val Kilmer for that role. And in classic Will Smith self-deprecating humor, he said, “I probably woulda messed The Matrix up!”
Think about that for a second. No Keanu Reeves. No Laurence Fishburne. A totally different dynamic. Would the film have still hit that cultural nerve? Hard to say. What’s clear, though, is that Smith’s star power—and possibly creative control—would’ve shifted the whole vibe of the movie.
And let’s not gloss over one uncomfortable truth Smith dropped: the studio allegedly didn’t want two Black leads in a blockbuster action movie. “It’s not like it would’ve been like [the movie we got]. If I had done it, because I’m Black, Morpheus wouldn’t have been Black,” Smith revealed. So yeah, casting decisions would’ve had some… complicated layers.
Bottom line: Smith passed on The Matrix, and to this day, he’s still wondering what might have been. But here’s the thing—The Matrix wouldn’t have been The Matrix with Smith in the lead. And, as much as he regrets it, even Will Smith knows that.
And who knows? Maybe, just maybe, we needed him to make Wild Wild West—mechanical spiders, chaps, and all—just so we could have the perfect Keanu-led Matrix.
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