The Matrix says 'choice is yours' on Metaverse after Facebook rebrands to Meta

The first time term 'metaverse' was ever used in the dystopia sci-fi novel titled Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson, which was released in 1992. It subsequently appeared in numerous books as well as film adaptations. The first-ever film to depict the actual metaverse was The Matrix that was helmed by the Wachowskis and released in 1999. The Keanu Reeves-starrer film shows humans living in a virtual world that was created by artificial intelligence, unaware of the difference between reel and the real world. 

On Thursday, after Facebook rebranded itself to 'Meta' in order to focus on its efforts to build the 'metaverse,' the makers of The Matrix Resurrections took to their verified Twitter handle and dropped a picture featuring a red pill and a blue pill.   

The Matrix Resurrections: 'The Choice is Yours'

Taking to the micro-blogging site on Friday, The Matrix Resurrections posted a simple snap featuring two pills- a red one and a blue one. Sharing the same, the makers wrote, "Now based on real events. The choice is yours." The words intend to highlight the fact that the 'metaverse' that was depicted in the hit Matrix franchise, is turning into reality. The tweet itself made its avid fans think if it is really possible for the real world and the digital world to merge. Several fans stated that these may be small steps in direction of a metaverse. 

The Matrix: A dazzling cyber adventure full of kinetic excitement

In The Matrix, which also stars Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, and Joe Pantoliano, a dystopian future is shown in which humanity is unknowingly trapped inside a simulated reality. Backed by Joel Silver, the film shows that humans are kept in sticky pods to generate electricity, while a cable is directly connected to their brains to project images of a simulated life in their minds. This leads them to feel that they are leading a normal life when in reality they are controlled by machines. The film is an example of the cyberpunk subgenre. 

Metaverse to merge real and digital worlds: Next-generation internet

The metaverse as a concept is similar to The Matrix plot where it is possible to merge the real and the digital worlds into one via the 'next version of the internet.' The only difference would be that here people would be fully aware of their happenings in the metaverse and would willingly enter into it. Looking at the numbers of social media users, a decent number of people are expected to retreat into the metaverse for prolonged hours when it comes into being. 

In the film, Morpheus and Neo try to liberate people from the simulated reality. At the end of the third part, Matrix Revolutions, humans and machines come to an agreement and people are given a choice whether they want to live within or in the actual world. Similarly, in real scenarios like the current times, people will be free to choose whether they want to use the metaverse or not. 

(Image: AP/Twitter/@TheMatrixMovie/Shutterstock)