The internet has been going insane this week due to some buzz from Hollywood that a new Matrix project was underway. Fans of the sci-fi trilogy (as well as extended media such as The Animatrix) didn’t seem too thrilled at the idea of the hit films getting a reboot, myself included. A glimmer of green light has been cast in the desolate wastelands as writer Zak Penn has given hope to fans that the project isn’t a reboot. Even better, the new film could be more of an origins story for the Captain of the Nebuchadnezzar, Morpheus.

Fans of The Matrix can be pretty hardcore. The films sparked a lot of “what ifs” due to its elaborate back story about machines farming humans in a post apocalyptic future, while keeping us plugged in and dreaming of the late 90’s and early 2000’s. With three feature films, comics, video games, and an animated collection of stories of Red Pillers – the franchise has become a staple in the sci-fi action genre. The buzz of a possible reboot has not been well received, but the writer responsible for the latest treatment, Zak Penn is trying to make it clear that it is not a reboot through his Twitter account:

Can't comment yet except to say that the words "reboot" and "remake" were from an article. Let's stop responding to inaccurate news.

— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017

All I can say at this point is no one could or should REBOOT the Matrix. People who know Animatrix and the comics understand.

— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 15, 2017

We can all take a breath of relief. It turns out that Warner Bros. Studios is looking to expand the universe of The Matrix. This could open up a ton of possibilities and new ideas all set within the universe of the original film. There are many characters in the films that are important to the plot, but aren’t given a lot of depth in their backstories. We know that most of the “anomalies” were hackers, but that’s a pretty vague description. What was Trinity’s Matrix life like before taking the red pill? What did Morpheus do in the dream world before becoming captain of a ship?

Speaking of Morpheus, it has been rumored that actor Michael B. Jordan is being eyed as a lead character in the new film. Now, if this truly isn’t a reboot and is more of an expansion to an already established character, Jordan could possibly be playing a younger Morpheus. There is absolutely no confirmation of this as of yet, but we can hop right? To further the idea of an origins story, Penn did post another set of tweets that would help us believe that there is a good chance that this is where the franchise is headed:

Do I want to see more stories set in the universe of the matrix? Yes. Because it's a brilliant idea that generates great stories.

— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017

Look at what people are doing with Xmen universe. Between Logan and Legion and Deadpool, does anyone want them to stop? Not me.

— Zak Penn (@zakpenn) March 17, 2017

As of now, nothing is confirmed, but Zak Penn is doing his best to control the masses from freaking out just yet. It is definitely too early to jump to conclusions, but on the other hand, it’s easy to get bent out of shape when franchises that you love are tinkered with. What are your thoughts on a possible Morpheus origin story? Would that be better than an all out reboot? Let us know in the comments section below, or feel free to talk about it with fellow DFTG readers and our staff on our official Disqus channel. Be sure to follow us on Twitter to catch the hottest news in gaming and entertainment 24/7.