The Matrix Resurrections Theory That Explains The New Blue Pills
Since the announcement that the fourth entry in the "Matrix" franchise, "The Matrix Resurrections," was on its way, fans have been asking questions. The third "Matrix" film, "The Matrix Revolutions," ends fairly definitively with the supposed death of its protagonists, Neo (Keanu Reeves) and Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and the emancipation of all people currently trapped in the Matrix. However, "The Matrix Resurrections" calls all of this into question, as Neo is seemingly once again caught in a virtual world run by machines and opposed by a small human resistance.
So how do Neo and Trinity survive the end of "The Matrix Revolutions"? Why are there people still stuck in the Matrix? Why is Neo taking the ominous blue pills, which represent acceptance of the Matrix's false reality, as prescription medication? These are all burning questions which will hopefully be answered when "The Matrix Resurrections" releases on HBO Max and in theaters on December 22, 2021. Until then, fans are continually speculating on the events and backstory of "The Matrix Resurrections." Specifically, one fan theory does its best to explain some of these questions, including the true nature of the new blue pills.
Neo may have technically freed humanity, but the new reality is different
The theory in question, posed by Reddit user u/Jacob_Wallace_8721, suggests that while the events of "The Matrix Revolutions" do unfold as they are depicted to us, the Architect of the Matrix surreptitiously gets his own way. Essentially, by distributing the blue pills to the public — which we see people taking ad nauseum in the trailer — the Architect is able to maintain control over the human population even though they are technically "free" to leave the Matrix at any time. As u/Jacob_Wallace_8721 puts it, "you can leave anytime you want. But good luck doing so." By using the pills to ensure that people want to stay in the Matrix, the Architect has found a loophole in the Machine's agreement to let humanity go.
In this theory, the Trinity we see, as well as the returning agents, are programs designed specifically to keep Neo and others from breaking free. While they don't directly prevent people from making the decision to leave, they manipulate others so that they decide, of their own free will, to stay within the Matrix. It's certainly the type of behavior one would expect from the Architect. As he explains to Neo in "The Matrix Reloaded," the entirety of the Matrix is actually built on humanity's subconscious decision to accept it as their reality. Circumventing Neo's actions in the original trilogy through other methods is right up his alley. However, we won't know for sure if this theory rings true until "The Matrix Resurrections" comes out in December.