However, his role of Jason Bourne will not be recast since the fourth 'Bourne' movie is said to be a stand-alone project.
- Oct 11, 2010
AceShowbiz - Tony Gilroy has cleared out speculation regarding whether or not Matt Damon will return to "The Bourne Legacy". Making it kind of official, the scribe who has just been appointed to serve as helmer for the upcoming film says the actor will not reprise his role as Jason Bourne.
But no one will take over his part since the fourth "Bourne" movie will not feature the character despite the fact that it is an icon of the film series. "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," Gilroy states.
"The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal," he further explains to Hollywood Elsewhere via Coming Soon. "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 what happens. 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 return [down the road]."
Gilroy adds, "Everything you saw in the first three films actually happened, and everyone who got into will be rewarded for paying attention. We're going to show you the bigger picture, the bigger canvas. When you see what we're going and see what we're doing it'll be pretty obvious....but Jason Bourne's activities in the first three films is the immediate trigger."
The filmmaker also explains that the fourth "Bourne" movie will not use the story of Robert Ludlum's book though the title is indeed taken from the novel. "It's a completely original screenplay," he claims.
Tony Gilroy wrote the scripts for the previous three "Bourne" films before he returns for the same duty for "The Bourne Legacy" and is tapped to replace Paul Greengrass as the director. There has been no word on the start date and release date for this upcoming action film.
