Next month, Jessica Henwick will co-star in The Matrix Resurrections as Bugs, an enigmatic woman who has a large role to play in the story. However, Henwick had to give up a chance to reenter the Marvel Cinematic Universe in order to take this role. During a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, Henwick revealed that she was force to choose between The Matrix sequel and a potential role in Marvel Studios’ Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
According to Henwick, she was already lined up for a chemistry test with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and other actors when she was approached about a potential role in Shang-Chi.
“[The studios] knew about the other offers, and both of them gave me the offer on the stipulation that I could only audition for one or the other. And there was no guarantee that I would get either. It was a red pill, blue pill moment for me.”
Presumably Henwick would have auditioned for either Katy or Xu Xialing in Shang-Chi. Regardless, Henwick’s previous experience as Colleen Wing on Iron Fist led her to choose The Matrix sequel over Shang-Chi.
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“I’ve obviously done Marvel TV, so I was already in the universe,” related Henwick. “I knew that joining The Matrix is not an opportunity that you get every day. Lana [Wachowski] has had so many offers to make more Matrix films. I just knew it was now or never. Whereas, obviously, Marvel is a huge, wonderful company that makes films very, very regularly.”
According to Henwick, her previous action experience in Game of Thrones and Iron Fist helped prepare her to play Bugs.
“I’d learned through so many different teachers and so many different styles [of action], and it was kind of perfect for Bugs,” noted Henwick. “The only thing that was really new for me was working with weapons, specifically guns. I’d never shot a gun in real life. I didn’t realize how heavy they are and how hard it is not to blink when you do it.”
The Matrix Resurrections will hit HBO Max and theaters on December 22.
Do you think Henwick made the right choice? Let us know in the comment section below!
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