‘The Matrix Resurrections’ End-Credits Scene: Stay To the End For One Last Meta Joke

Warning: This article contains The Matrix Resurrections spoilers. Read it at your own risk.

If you’ve seen The Matrix Resurrections, you know that the fourth movie in this epic sci-fi franchise goes fully meta. Neo (Keanu Reeves) is back in the Matrix, living out a simulated life as Thomas Anderson, a world-famous video game designer. His most popular game to date? A franchise called The Matrix. The narrative of those video games? The exact same plot as the first three Matrix films.

One day, Thomas’s boss, Smith (played by actor Jonathan Groff), tells him that he needs to make a fourth Matrix video game. Thomas doesn’t want to do it; he has suffered mental breakdowns in the past because he’d been unable to distinguish reality from his game. Plus, he feels the story is over.

“I’m sure you can understand why our beloved parent company Warner Bros. has decided to make a sequel to the trilogy,” Smith tells Thomas. “They informed me they are going to do it with or without us.”

Even without the Warner Bros. shout-out—the studio behind The Matrix films—it doesn’t take a genius to realize that director Lana Wachowski, who co-wrote the film with David Mitchell and Aleksandar Hemon, is at least partially referencing her own experience being asked to make a fourth Matrix film. (Before The Matrix Resurrections was announced, there were reports in 2017 that Warner Bros. was planning to relaunch the franchise without the Wachowski sisters, who had publicly said they didn’t want to make another Matrix film.)

With that knowledge in mind, the montage that follows feels deeply personal. Thomas, basically despondent, is surrounded by endless executives and creative voices who insist that they know what audiences want from The Matrix 4.

“What made Matrix different? It effed with your head,” says one designer.

“We need guns. Lots of guns,” says another. Then the voices start to blend together.

“Obviously the Matrix is about-

“Trans-politics-”

“Crypto-fascism!”

“It’s a metaphor-”

“-of capitalist exploitation.”

It seems the Wachowskis have been reading the Matrix think pieces over the last twenty years. Of course, then Neo escapes the Matrix, and we leave the meta-commentary on Hollywood and the film industry behind… until the Matrix Resurrections after-credits scene.

IS THERE A MATRIX RESURRECTIONS END CREDITS SCENE? THE MATRIX 4 POST CREDITS:

Yes. At the very end of the credits, there is a short and silly scene that brings us back to the part in the movie when executives were brainstorming ideas for The Matrix 4 video game.

“Face reality Games are dead,” one guy declares. “Narrative? Dead.”

“Media is nothing but neural-trigger response and viral conditioning,” another person says.

Then the first guy hits his colleague with the pitch: “Cat videos. What we need is a series of videos that we call, ‘The Catrix.’”

Obviously, it’s just a ridiculous little joke to end the movie and send the audience back home laughing. But also… I would totally watch The Catrix. Apologies to Lana Wachowski, but I’ve learned nothing from her satire. This is what the people want!

Watch The Matrix Resurrections on HBO Max