New Bourne director (and returning screenwriter) Tony Gilroy has told Hollywood Elsewhere (via Dark Horizons) that Matt Damon will not be back for the next Bourne movie, and indeed that his character (known best by the moniker of Jason Bourne, even if that's not his real name) won't appear. He set the matter straight on some other things, too, and basically confirmed what I've speculated here before. The title will be The Bourne Legacy, but the film will bear no resemblance to Eric van Lustbader's continuation novel of that name, just as The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum bore no resemblance to the plots of Robert Ludlum's novels of those titles. "It's a completely original screenplay," Gilroy told the website, adding, "This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one's replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter... this is a stand-alone project." He goes on to further clarify that Jason Bourne is still "very much alive," though he won't be a character in this film. "What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I'm building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy." Head over to Hollywood Elsewhere to read everything Gilroy had to say.
Personally, I've got to say I'm a tad disappointed. I had really hoped that Damon would see reason and return to the role that solidified his stardom, but he appears to be ingrateful. Gilroy stipulates that this story will leave the door open for Damon's Bourne to return again in the future, so perhaps he'll still get a Never Say Never Again moment down the line. Failing Damon's return, I would have preferred to see the role simply recast, Bond-style (not rebooted or remade), with the supporting players all returning and no one commenting on Bourne's "new face" or anything silly like that. Instead, we get a sequel without the titular character, and it will be interesting to see how audiences respond to that. I guess the title The Bourne Legacy is very much appropriate, though, to what Gilroy is proposing...
