Morpheus (Matrix character)

Morpheus is the name of a fictional character (played by Laurence Fishburne) in the science fiction film, The Matrix. He is the captain of the Nebuchadnezzar (a ship in The Real World).

The Wachowski brothers, writers and directors of The Matrix films were fans of Neil Gaiman and based the character of Morpheus on the title character from the comic book The Sandman, also adopting one of his most common pseudonyms, Morpheus. They gave Fishburne some or all of the series to read, and the style of speech and mannerism of the Matrix character are heavily informed by the Sandman character, although since The Sandman is only a graphic novel, much of the tone and inflection is an original (though recognizable) interpretative creation on Fishburne's part. This connection is hinted at again in Enter the Matrix when Niobe calls Daniels Institute of dreams to get in touch with Morpheus.

The name of Morpheus actually has a reference to classical mythology. In Ancient Greek Mythology, Morpheus was the god of dreams.