Joe Pantoliano recently shared that the filmmakers behind The Matrix, the Wachowskis, deliberately misled him about what happened to his character. He continues to hold out hope that Cypher might reappear in future installments.
Joe Pantoliano and the Wachowskis became friends after working together on their early hit, Bound.
Working with that director really opened doors for me – it’s how I landed the role of Cypher in The Matrix! He was one of the rebels, fighting for freedom, but honestly, he ended up switching sides and betraying everyone. It was a complex character, and a really cool part to play.
Cypher murders multiple members of his team, and Tank subsequently kills him. The director attempted to alter this scene during filming, but ultimately it remained in the final cut.
The Wachowskis lied about Cypher’s death in The Matrix
I was so surprised to hear this at New York Comic-Con! Apparently, Joe Pantoliano actually convinced the director of *The Fugitive*, Andrew Davis, not to kill off his character! If he hadn’t, we wouldn’t have gotten to see him in *US Marshals*, which was awesome!
The actor then tried the same trick during a phone-call with Lily Wachowski.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Pantoliano recounted a conversation where he asked, “You’re not going to kill me, are you?” Lilly responded, “He doesn’t want us to kill you.” However, off-camera, Lana chimed in, knowing Pantoliano could hear, and said, “Just lie to him, and we’ll kill him anyway.”
The show’s host pointed out to Pantoliano that we never actually see Cypher die on screen. Interestingly, he’s killed with the same lightning rifle that failed to kill Tank the first time, adding to the mystery.
The actor playfully dismissed questions about whether his character might return, pointing out that, like Agent Smith in *The Matrix*, seemingly definitive endings aren’t always final. He emphasized, ‘Anything can happen – it *is* The Matrix!’
Drew Goddard is working on a fifth Matrix movie, and actor Joe Pantoliano believes it’s still possible for his character to return, saying, “It’s not too late.”
While Joey’s still waiting to hear back, I thought I’d share where *The Matrix* landed on our list of the greatest sci-fi films, and even where it ranks among all movies ever made. Definitely worth checking out!
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2025-10-15 14:49