“It was slightly out of context”: Keanu Reeves’ The Matrix Flawlessly Uses the Trans Allegory Because it Wasn’t Forced and Lilly Wachowski Agrees

Follow us on Google News

Get the latest updates directly in your Google News feed

The influence of Keanu Reeves’ legacy filmThe Matrixis insurmountable in its degree – be it of relevance or pop culture identity. The film eschewed the generic tropes of action movies and added a blend of martial arts with high-scope science fiction to make something inherently unique. The product then created by the merger of Lilly and Lana Wachowski’s imagination continues to subvert audience expectations to date and essentially prove its worth in modern society.

The Matrix[Credit: Warner Bros.]However, the very reasons that madeThe Matrixsuch a beloved addition to the public consciousness are the same reasons that laid waste to the recent culture in film and television. WhileThe Matrixintegrates a trans identity in the film’s very core, the rest of Hollywood trips over its own two feet trying to force diversity and inclusivity in its plot and narrative.

The MatrixDirector Discusses the Film’s Trans Allegory

Belinda McClory as Switch inThe Matrix[Credit: Warner Bros.]During the time of its conception and eventual release,The Matrixdirectors were both closeted trans artists with a vision to dictate upon the screen. With the devices available to them, the sci-fi game-changer was born that shed all pretense of make-believe and dove into the subjects of reality and simulation. In fact, the subject became so intertwined with the audience’s own frail view of reality thatthe idea of a simulationdidn’t seem too much of a big leap to believe.

The Matrix 5: WB’s Surprise Sequel Needs to Get Back 1 Major Actor Who’s Actually More Important Than Keanu Reeves’ Neo – Here’s Why

However, when it came to the ingrained trans allegory in the film, that aspect of the plot is too subtle for the audience to understand at first glance. Over the years, however, conversations in chat rooms and fan circles on social media have brought the issue to the surface due to one character called Switch.Lilly Wachowskirecalls in an interview withThem:

“The question they asked me was about Switch, who was originally written as a trans character who was male in the real world and female in the matrix. And they took that response and attached the question that everyone now references that it’s a trans allegory. And so it was slightly out of context, but I don’t sit here and put a stink up about it, because it is a trans allegory in that it was written by two closeted trans women. And so all of the things that are in it are super-duper trans. The idea of transformation, even the whole “My name is Neo, Mr. Anderson —” that idea of claiming identity, it’s undeniable.

Yeah, with all the decisions we made with that film, there’s just this burbling transness simmering below everything. So when I look back at the way that we cast those two parts, I can see how obvious it is that they’re one part in a lot of ways; that they’re two sides of the same coin. It’s not like these were conscious decisions, but more like we’re finding our way instinctively as these two closeted trans women. So all those things that your receptors are buzzing about are completely valid. When people say, “Oh, it’s a trans allegory,” it’s like, “Yeah… it is, but we weren’t like, Hey, let’s write a trans allegory.” That’s not how it started. We were like, “Hey, let’s write this action film,” and then we got our trans all over it.”

Just as Neo sheds his given identity by the end ofThe Matrixto accept his chosen one, Lilly Wachowski transfers a hint of her own identity into the film alongside her sister, Lana Wachowski.

The Dilemma With Inclusivity in Modern Film & Television

Ghostbusters[Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment]Be it historical drama or modernist adaptations, forced diversity never helped a production. The problem with such a subject is the sentiments of a larger fanbase being sacrificed for the sake of generating a conversation. The 2016 reboot ofGhostbustersdoes that by forsaking the format of the established classic to produce a generic female-led remake and thinking it would be a success simply because it’s progressive. Such a film draws away attention from its underdeveloped plot and bland characters and puts the audience in a box – afraid to criticize the remake out of fear of being policed as sexist or racist.

“I don’t understand why do a reboot”: Ernie Hudson Points Out The Biggest Flaw In Female Led Ghostbusters Reboot, Calls It Disappointing

Often, the audience is left with no choice but to feel hostile towards a lackluster protagonist with no other purpose to serve when their entire identity becomes “I am female” or “I am trans” or “I am black” to push for a political agenda. Such an amateur mistake could be easily avoided if one only stopped paying attention to skin-deep diversity or generic inclusion.

Instead offorsaking the plot to force-feed pertinent issueson gender and sexual identity, one needs to introduce diverse, inclusive characters worth telling a story about. Series likeBrooklyn Nine-NineandThe Boyshardly suffer from criticism because they include great character development with good dialogue and storylines that serve to entertain the audience.

The Matrixis available for streaming on Prime Video.

Diya Majumdar

Senior Writer

Articles Published :2408

Diya Majumdar is a Senior Content Writer at FandomWire with over 2000 published articles on the website. Since 2022, she has been working as an entertainment journalist with a special focus on films and pop culture.Among the countless genres and themes of Hollywood, the ones that particularly favor Diya’s tastes include Game of Thrones, DC, and well-aged thrillers and classics.

More from Diya Majumdar

Kevin Hart Is Trading Dwayne Johnson for Another WWE Star in New Netflix Film

Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein First Look Photos Decoded: Is it the Darkest Netflix Film Yet?

Kevin Costner and Jake Gyllenhaal Go On a Honeymoon in Crazy Stupid Love Directors’ New Movie

Recommended

Spider-Man: Brand New Day – How the 2008 Comic Arc Could Shape Tom Holland’s Next Movie

One Piece: Why Luffy’s Final Fight Will Break Shonen (& It Won’t Be Against Imu or Blackbeard)

‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Season 10 Episode 9: Release Date and What to Expect

NYT Strands June 15, 2025 Hints and Solution

You Can Finally Watch Brad Pitt’s ‘F1’ Blockbuster at Home: Digital Release Date Revealed - Report

NYT Pips Solution for August 21, 2025

Lilly WachowskiThe Matrix