Will Smith shockingly passed on the leading role in The Matrix, which completely changed both the franchise and his career. Smith was offered the role of Neo in The Matrix before Keanu Reeves. By that point in his career, some of Will Smith’s best movies, such as Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black, had already been released. Therefore, he had already established himself as a movie star. Additionally, Smith had proven that he had an interest in the science fiction genre, which would have made him a perfect leading man for The Matrix movies.
The story of the first Matrix movie follows Neo, who discovers that humanity is trapped inside the Matrix, a simulated reality that was created by intelligent machines. Lily and Lana Wachowski, the writers and directors of the first Matrix movie, offered the role of Neo to Smith. Smith accepting the role of Neo would have completely changed his career, as the first movie was a huge success and eventually became the start of a franchise. However, Smith was unsure about the Wachowskis’ pitch for The Matrix and decided to turn down the leading role.