I felt this should have it's own thread for discussion purposes because I'm still a huge Matrix fan. I tried to find an original Matrix thread to insert this in but couldn't find a contender.

I fucking lol'd when he said he chose to do Wild Wild West instead

Will Smith had to take that huge "L". But he does make a good point in the video commentary, The Matrix would have not been as big as it was if he was casted in it. Keanu Reeves definitely fitted the role perfectly.

I also had no idea Val Kilmer was considered to play Morpheus.

I don't care WHY Will Smith turned it down, I'm just glad he did. I love Keanu in the role. I would not have loved Smith.

Here's the often unmentioned deal with movies: It takes the right actors with the right director and the right screenplay (and some luck) to make a "great" film. No one knows what the combination is, but it's obviously not easy, or we wouldn't get so many bad films and so few excellent ones.

It's kind of like sports. One football QB or baseball pitcher is a disaster on one team, gets traded to another and turns into a superstar - it's all about chemistry and the right elements coming together.

The Matrix would've turned into another stupid comedy if WS was cast as Neo, I'm thankful the casting went just as it did.

I can't see Will Smith doing Kung Fu and all the training Keanu did for the role.

You never watched Ali? Say what you want about the movie, but Smith was absolutely believable in combat.

Maybe the sequels would've at least been better with Will.

My opinion: Smith would have done just as good a job in the role as Reeves did. (Assuming, of course, that the script remained the same and didn't shoehorn any instances of Neo saying, "Aw, hell no!")

Anyone other than Carrie-Anne Moss in the Trinity role would have been a detriment to the movie, though.

I could never picture the "fresh prince" as "the one".

I thought it was well known that he turned down Matrix for Wild West?

Maybe not, but Will should have been able to pull it off...

It was but clickbait headlines are a thing now with sites rehashing old shit.

If Will Smith did star in the Matrix as Neo, Would we ever see this:

IMO, most likely yes. The time span between them was substantial and Reeves hit 50 which in current Hollywood means you get cast as a bad ass. He may not have been first pick for the role though.

I'd never heard that story before. I think that Keanu is better at playing a blank character, which worked well for the role. Will Smith would have gone all movie star in the role, and made the movie more about him.