The Matrix was a metaphor for transgender identity, director Lilly Wachowski confirms
Trans fans have speculated about the film’s hidden allegories since Lilly and Lana Wachowski both came out as trans themselves
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Matrix co-director Lilly Wachowski has finally confirmed fan speculation that the films are metaphors for transgender identity.
Since both she and sister Lana came out as trans in 2012 and 2016, respectively, trans fans have written about the possible allegories found in the films.
Some have suggested that Neo’s (Keanu Reeves) unease with the world, which is described in the film as a “splinter in your mind”, is a metaphor for gender dysphoria. The “red pill”, which allows him to see reality for what it truly is, has also been compared to estrogen pills.
Lilly Wachowski has now confirmed that she and her sister’s “original intention” was for the film to operate as an allegory for gender identity.
“I’m glad that it has gotten out that that was the original intention,” she told Netflix Film Club. “The world wasn’t quite ready for it. The corporate world wasn’t ready for it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Wachowski revealed that Switch, a character in the first film who works alongside Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne), was originally written to be gender fluid. Switch, hence their name, would present as a woman in the fictitious world of “The Matrix” and a man in reality.
“The Matrix ... was all about the desire for transformation, but it was all coming from a closeted point of view,” Wachowski said. “We had the character of Switch, who would be a man in the real world and then a woman in the Matrix, and that’s where [both of] our headspaces were.”
Filming on the belated fourth entry in the Matrix franchise recently restarted, with the coronavirus pandemic having shutting down production in March.
Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Jada Pinkett Smith are returning for the film, along with franchise newcomers including Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Watchmen actor Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments