10 Franchises Other Than Star Wars That Will Return... Whether You Like It Or Not

2. The Matrix

As heretical as it may seem, revisiting the world of the Matrix might not be too bad of an idea. The dual failings of Reloaded and Revolutions still leaves a pang of regret about what might have been, and much like the feeling regarding Episode VII there is a sense that a new film could go some way towards rectifying that fact. When The Matrix first appeared in 1999, it inspired an endless stream of speculation and theorising about where the story could lead. As with The Phantom Menace before it, such frenzied fan expectations weren't met and we were left with two ultimately disappointing retreads of the original with added cod-philosophical ramblings, crater-like plot holes and a ream of lifeless and forgettable characters. Such a huge misfire has undoubtedly had an impact on the legacy of first film, and has to a degree even led a collective memory wipe about what an impact it initially had on popular culture. The Matrix has been criticised for borrowing heavily from all manner of sources including Grant Morrison's The Invisibles, Ghost In The Shell, Akira, Wim Wenders' World on a Wire and Dark City to name a few, but rather than being judged as a blatant act of plagiarism, it should not be forgotten that The Matrix appropriated these influences to help construct a universe the like of which had never been seen in blockbuster cinema. Talk of the Wachowskis revisiting their major work has surfaced several times since Revolutions brought the trilogy to a dissatisfying close eleven years ago. Each time the news has been revealed as a false dawn, but if the repeated financial failings of their non-Matrix films continues with Jupiter Ascending, then they may have to plug themselves back into the Matrix just to get a film green-lit.