Bourne is back! Or at least he may be, if Universal can come to an agreement with Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass, as simultaneous negotiations are currently underway to bring the director/actor combo back for the franchise’s fifth film.
As you may remember, Damon wasn’t present in the franchise’s fourth film, as the focus was Jeremy Renner’s Aaron Cross. That wasn’t for a lack of trying by Universal however. They wanted Damon back, but he said he believed the turnaround they were looking for was much too quick to make a quality film, and he refused to return without Greengrass. So eventually the studio went with a different actor, a different character, and a much different story.
If an agreement happens, that doesn’t mean Renner is out. Universal is planning to continue Cross’ story, regardless of whether Damon signs on. That means if Damon is present, there will likely be a team-up between the two rogue agents, which seems somewhat out of character for Bourne. Last year Damon voiced some of his hesitations about continuing with the character to Indiewire.
I don’t know what that story would be. I love Jeremy and I’m a huge fan of him and I know him personally and love him outside of work, too. But I just don’t know what that story would be. I could never see Bourne teaming up with anyone. And all he said was – he wanted out, he wanted out, he wanted out. So how do you get that character going again?
So it seems likely if Bourne does return, it’ll be a reluctant team-up with Cross, forced on the two by some circumstances outside their control, though that was probably a safe bet even if Damon didn’t voice his concerns. I like the fact Renner wouldn’t be pushed out just because Damon is back. While The Bourne Legacy was nowhere near the level of the other three films, Renner still played a great agent, and working alongside Damon he could turn in something really special.
But what’s important now isn’t the intricacies of the relationship between Bourne and Cross, it’s the fact that Damon and Greengrass may be back, and that’s just about as exciting of news as any action fan could hope for today.
See? Jason Bourne really can do anything.
What do you think of the potential return of Damon and Greengrass? Does this revitalize your interest in the franchise? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.