The announcement last week that Tony Gilroy would be directing the fourth ‘Bourne’ movie sparked much speculation about Matt Damon’s role in the sequel.
After rumours that Damon refused to appear in any ‘Bourne’ movies not made by original director Paul Greengrass, fans were left wondering how producers would fill Damon’s shoes.
Well, whether Greengrass was the definitive factor or not, it has been confirmed that Matt Damon will not feature in ‘The Bourne Legacy’, because his character will not be included.
Gilroy, who penned screenplays for all three ‘Bourne’ films to date, confirmed to website Hollywood Elsewhere: “No one’s replacing Matt Damon… There will be a whole new hero.”
That might baffle fans who have read the novel ‘The Bourne Legacy’ (written by Eric Van Lustbader following Robert Ludlum’s death), which involved Bourne and some Chechen terrorists. But Gilroy cleared it up by saying, “[This movie] is a completely original screenplay, and we will not be using that story.”
Gilroy appears to be doing everything in his power to make sure the film doesn’t link clumsily to Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne, who he hints could reappear at some point in the future.
“This is not a reboot, it’s a whole new chapter,” he added. “The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal. Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he’s very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for The Bourne Legacy, and everyone who got into them will be rewarded for paying attention. I’m building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy.
“The world we’re making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne’s reappearance somewhere down the road…”
Source: Yahoo 11th October 2010
