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When Jessica Henwick was told she could only audition for one of the films, she gambled on The Matrix Resurrections over Marvel’s Shang-Chi.
Jessica Henwick is no stranger to playing a Marvel character, but when it came time to jump into the MCU on the big screen, she turned down the opportunity to jack in to The Matrix Resurrections.
The actor has jumped all across fandom, playing Colleen Wing on Iron Fist, Luke Cage, and The Defenders and Nymeria Sand on Game of Thrones. She even had a small role in The Force Awakens. But when Henwick had the chance to appear in this year’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, she decided to go for Matrix 4 instead.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Henwick revealed that she had the chance to audition for both movies. But Disney and Warner Bros. wouldn’t let her try out for one role without turning down the other opportunity. For the actor, neither part was guaranteed, and the ultimatum by the studios left her with a tough choice. “It was a red-pill/blue-pill moment for me,” Henwick said.
In the end, Henwick chose to audition for Resurrections, and she ultimately landed the part of Bugs. Little is known about the new character to the franchise, but Henwick previously made clear that she had some stipulations about the part.
“I grew up thinking The Matrix was the coolest thing ever,” Henwick said back in June. “Bullet-time, the multiple agents, the pills, and the rabbit! When I signed on, I said the three things I want are a leather jacket, sunglasses, and some wirework. I got two out of the three – I’ll leave you to guess which ones.”
Of course, that secret seems to be out of the bag. The first Matrix 4 poster features Bugs along with Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus, and Henwick is clearly wearing sunglasses. Her jacket, however, looks to be a blazer. That means she likely got to do some wirework, which makes sense, given how much her career has involved fight scenes.
It’s that very reason why a role in Shang-Chi would’ve been perfect for Henwick, especially now that the Defenders-centric shows are no longer MCU canon. But the actor doesn’t reveal exactly what part she was up for. It’s possible she could’ve been Katy, Shang-Chi’s best friend, played by Awkwafina in the movie. But given her background — lots of action and not much comedy — Shang-Chi’s sister, Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), seems more likely.
To see Henwick in action as Bugs, check out The Matrix Resurrections when it debuts in theaters and on HBO Max Dec. 22.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
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