Laurence Fishburne in 'The Matrix' (1999); Fishburne at New York Comic Con on Oct. 12, 2025. Credit : Jasin Boland/Warner Bros/Village Roadshow/Kobal/Shutterstock; Craig Barritt/Getty NEED TO KNOW Laurence Fishburne revealed at New York Comic Con that he played a key role in creating his character's iconic look in the Matrix movies The actor particularly had a hand in the precise details of the sunglasses he wore Fishburne, 64, stars as Morpheus in the sci-fi action franchise Laurence Fishburne is sharing how he helped shape his iconic look in the Matrix movies. The 64-year-old actor famously portrays rebel leader Morpheus, captain of the Nebuchadnezzar, in the hit sci-fi action film franchise. During a panel discussion at New York Comic Con (NYCC) on Oct. 12, Fishburne — who was joined by costar Joe Pantoliano (Cypher) — discussed the process of bringing Morpheus to life on-screen with very intentional wardrobe choices. "Kym Barrett did an incredible job," he said, referring to the movies' costume designer. "I mean, all the silhouettes she had, you know, they had designed, and they're gorgeous." A standout aspect of Morpheus' sleek look — which includes black duster coats — is his futuristic-looking rimless and temple-less sunglasses with a mirror finish. Fishburne revealed how he had a hand in the precise details of those sunglasses. From left: Carrie-Anne Moss, Randall Duk Kim, Laurence Fishburne, Monica Bellucci and Keanu Reeves in 'The Matrix Reloaded' (2003). Moviestore/Shutterstock "In the storyboards, Morpheus' mask, I call it, the glasses were on. And the guy who was making them handed me the glasses, and they had stems on them. And I went, 'Those aren't the glasses.' He's like, 'What do you mean?' I was like, 'Look at the storyboard. There's no stems on those glasses,' " the star recalled. "And he's like, 'Oh, how are we going to keep 'em on your face?' I was like, 'It's not my problem, son, ' " he continued, earning laughs from the audience. "That's why they look like that." The end design featured clips on the nose pads to keep the glasses in place. Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss in 'The Matrix Reloaded' (2003). Moviestore/Shutterstock Laurence said he kept an original pair of the glasses and gave another to a young boy with cancer. "[He] was about 11 years old way back then, and he wanted to be me. It was a Make-A-Wish thing," he explained. During the NYCC panel, Pantoliano, 74, also spoke about his character Cypher's look, including his signature goatee. "Yeah, they really wanted [the goatee]," he said, before jokingly sharing, "But I forgot and I shaved it off and when I showed up. they said, "Where’s your [goatee]?' So we started out with the teeth, you know, and then we let it grow out." Our new app is here! Free, fun and full of exclusives. Scan to download now! The original Matrix movie was released in 1999, followed by three sequels: The Matrix Reloaded (2003), The Matrix Revolutions (2003) and The Matrix Resurrections (2021). Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Related Stories Laurence Fishburne Reacts to Matrix 4 After Not Being 'Invited' Back: 'Wasn't as Good as I Hoped' Fishburne previously spoke to Variety about not being "invited" back for the fourth installment — and how he didn't feel like he missed out by not appearing in Resurrections. "But I thought Carrie-Anne and Keanu really did their thing," the actor said, praising returning stars Keanu Reeves , 61, and Carrie-Anne Moss , 58. Laurence Fishburne at New York Comic Con on Oct. 12, 2025. Craig Barritt/Getty As for his take on the fourth film, Fishburne said, "It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. And it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be." The Contagion star previously told New York Magazine in 2020 that Morpheus is his most well-known performance over his long career. "It is probably the role that I'll be best remembered for, which is great," he said at the time. Close Source: https://people.com/laurence-fishburne-says-he-played-key-role-creating-his-iconic-matrix-look-11831941