16 Crazy Facts You Just Have To Accept To Enjoy The Matrix Trilogy

6. Tank Was Sorely Missed In The Sequels

One of the best and most underrated supporting characters in The Matrix is Tank (Marcus Chong, adopted son of Tommy), the operator of the Nebuchadnezzar who helps acquaint Neo with the nature of The Matrix. Though he takes a beating from Cypher and is left for dead after being shot with the lightning gun, he has enough vitality left to pick the gun up and kill Cypher with a well-aimed blast. However, Tank was quickly written out of Reloaded, reportedly due to a pay dispute between the Wachowskis and Chong, causing the actor to file suit against the filmmaking duo for "breach of contract, slander and fraud", claiming that they diminished his reputation in Hollywood. Though Link (Harold Perrineau) was a perfectly fine replacement operator, the audience already had an emotional attachment to Tank, and though he wasn't a huge part of the movie, he was still one of the most likeable supporting characters, one who fans hoped to see again in the sequels (leading to numerous petitions to get Chong re-hired on the movie). As for how it ended up for Chong? He's not starred in a feature film since 2005's The Crow: Wicked Prayer, so go figure.