The Matrix Resurrectionsstar Jessica Henwick has revealed that she had to pick between either starring inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Ringsor the upcomingMatrixsequel. Executives from both Disney and Warner Bros. were interested in Henwick, so they gave her the ultimatum.
Before joiningThe Matrix 4, Henwick was best known for playing Colleen Wing in the Netflix television seriesIron FistandDefenders.The Marvel character she plays is a crime fighter who uses her iconic blade to duke it out against baddies alongside Danny Rand/Iron Fist. LikeCharlie Cox as Daredevil, Henwick is one of the many actors whom fans want to see reprise their role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
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Henwick talked to Entertainment Weekly and discussed the “red pill/blue pill moment” that she was faced with while auditioning forThe Matrix 4andShang-Chiat the same time. Disney and Warner Bros. were both aware of the other studios' offer to Henwick and they each gave her an ultimatum. The higher-ups of both studios told her that in order to audition for their film, she would have to forfeit the other. This was hard news to hear for Henwick because she still was not guaranteed to get the role of the project she chose, meaning she could have potentially chosen one studio over the other only to be rejected anyway.
The actress evidently pickedThe Matrix Resurrectionsand successfully landed the role of Bugs. Henwick didn’t say whichcharacter she was up for inShang-Chi, so it’s unclear if she would have returned as Colleen Wing or if she was going to play a completely different role. Regardless, her appearance in the Marvel Studios film would’ve been pivotal for the cinematic franchise moving forward, especially if she actually was going to play Colleen Wing again.
Still, if the actress decided onTheMatrix 4instead ofShang-Chi, it must have meant that the offer Warner Bros. gave her was one she couldn’t pass up. Some speculate it’s because she can return to Marvel at a later date in a future project, or perhaps there is potential for multipleMatrixfilms that will feature the character Bugs.
There are numerous reasons as to whyshe may have pickedThe Matrix 4, but regardless of what she decided, as long as the actress is happy then that’s all that matters. Decisions don’t have to make sense to anybody except the person who makes them, and sometimes one person’s ‘dream role’ isn’t everyone else’s. A lot of people are fighting to get into a Marvel film, but not everybody has that same desire. Some enjoy watching the MCU films as a fan instead of being one of the many heroes to join the ever-growing roster.
The Matrix Resurrectionswill be in theaters and on HBO Max on December 22nd, 2021.
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