10 Insane Reasons Actors Didn't Return For Movie Sequels
9. Marcus Chong Made Threatening Phone Calls To The Wachowskis - The Matrix Reloaded & Revolutions
Tank (Marcus Chong) was one of the most memorable supporting characters in The Matrix, serving as the operator for the heroes and helping them jack in and out of the simulated reality.
Given that Tank seemed to survive the events of the first film, albeit while badly injured, there was no reason to assume he wouldn't return for sequels The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions, then.
In 2000, Chong was reportedly offered $250,000 to appear in both Matrix sequels, though Chong believed that he was due double that amount, and also made demands about being invited to press junkets with the main cast.
The Wachowskis ultimately rejected these asks, leading to an incident in October 2000 where Chong was arrested for allegedly making threatening phone calls to the filmmakers.
And so, Chong ultimately didn't return for the sequels, though did file a lawsuit against Warner Bros. in 2003, proclaiming that he'd been blackballed from Hollywood.
It doesn't appear that Chong's claims had much legal merit, but either way he's appeared in just nine small roles since The Matrix almost 30 years ago.