Why Jet Li refused to star in the Matrix sequels

“They wanted to record all my martial arts moves digitally and keep them.”

Matrix Reloaded will return this evening on TFX. Did you know that Jet Li had been approached by the Wachowskis to star in these two sequels? He explained his refusal in the press in October 2018. Long before Disney was singled out for digitally create stand-ins for extras (for the series WandaVision), the pro martial arts actor explained that he was scared when he saw a clause in his contract: Warner Bros. asked to scan his movements in order to be able to reuse them later… Without needing to call on him again, therefore.

In Matrix Reloaded And Matrix Revolutionsthe Oracle is protected by a certain Seraph, played by actor Collin Chou. Michelle Yeoh was originally offered the role, but the actress was already attached to another project at the time. The Wachowskis then asked Jet Li if he wanted to play this character, but the star of Romeo must die And Danny the Dog refused. Fifteen years after the films release, he revealed why to presenter Chen Luyu.

“I hesitated when I realized that the Americans wanted me to participate in the film for three months, but with a crew of nine, details Jet Li. For the next six months, they wanted to record my martial arts movements, copying them digitally to keep them in a database. At the end of this recording, they would have obtained the rights to these movements. I told myself that I had trained my whole life to succeed, and that we martial arts enthusiasts were doomed to grow old when they could keep my moves forever, like intellectual property. I told them I couldn’t do that.”

Jet Li is not the only one afraid of such “digital recordings” : actor Donald Glover, who plays young Lando Clarissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story, also revealed his doubts recentlyknowing that by agreeing to play in the saga, he knew that the Lucasfilm studio would retain its “digital imprint” to potentially reuse their image in the future. The question also arises concerning the voices of dubbing actors to be resurrected by AI: this week, a test carried out with that of Alain Dorval on a scene in Sylvester Stallone's new action film, almost a year after his death, caused a scandal.

Lucasfilm digitally copies every Star Wars actor

Jet Li has had little presence in cinema in recent years: in 2014, he played in Expendables 3then in League of Godsin 2016, but he has slowed down since announcing he suffered from hyperthyroidism. It was still noticed in the live version of Mulanat Disney, in 2020.

Weakened by illness, Jet Li is unrecognizable