Will Smith shockingly passed on the leading role in The Matrix, which completely changed both the franchise and his career. Smith was offered the role of Neo in The Matrix before Keanu Reeves. By that point in his career, some of Will Smith’s best movies, such as Bad Boys, Independence Day, and Men in Black, had already been released. Therefore, he had already established himself as a movie star. Additionally, Smith had proven that he had an interest in the science fiction genre, which would have made him a perfect leading man for The Matrix movies.

https://screenrant.com/will-smith-the-matrix-neo-role-turned-down-why-explainer/