"The Bourne Legacy" Moves Forward Without Matt Damon

The series of films about amnesiac CIA operative Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon) has grossed over $900 million globally. Given numbers like that it's quite natural that Universal Pictures would want to keep the franchise going. However they've hit a bit of a snag. Matt Damon made it clear some time ago that he would only return to play the character again if Paul Greengrass (director of The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum) directed the film. Greengrass has moved onto other projects and at this point it looks very unlike that he'll ever be tempted into returning to this series. Many have speculated that Bourne would take the route of James Bond and recast the character to keep the series alive. While the plans for The Bourne Legacy are moving forward without Damon or Greengrass there is no plan to recast the role.

Deadline.com has reported that the series will instead delve into the mythology that the films have created. The Treadstone group and it's Blackbriar project were the route of Bourne's skills and also his memory loss. While the existing films focused exclusively on Bourne himself the plan is for the sequels to look at the bigger picture of Treadstone, those involved in it and it's impact on a larger scale. This allows for a new protagonist and for the character of Jason Bourne to be more of a presence in the background, something that can be referenced but does not need to be seen on screen. The approach is also interesting and since it doesn't recast Bourne, if the results are solid it allows for Damon to return to the role later should he feel a change of heart.

Writer Tony Gilroy is the brains behind this quasi-spin-off idea. Gilroy wrote the scripts for all three of the Bourne films however he had a falling out with director Paul Greengrass and basically walked away after turning in his draft for The Bourne Ultimatum. When Greengrass himself walked away from the series Gilroy was contacted by Universal for any ideas he might have for the best way to move the series forward. Gilroy started working on a script with his brother Dan, though he admitted he was not expecting to be asked to direct the film. Gilroy has become a director of some note in the last few years. His directorial debut, Michael Clayton, earned several Oscar nominations for both directing and writing (he had written the script as well.)

Gilroy wisely realized it was a bad idea to recast the role of Jason Bourne. Unlike the James Bond this was not a case where the character had become bigger than the actor playing him. There's also the issue of where to go with the story of Jason. Even if Damon had returned, The Bourne Ultimatum had wrapped up his personal story very nicely and any further adventures would have likely felt very tacked on. Bourne's story has effectively ended but there was enough groundwork laid in the CIA conspiracy setting for there to be other stories that can be told in the same world.

Gilroy is not confirming many script specifics at this point. There is certainly plenty of room for other actors from the series, particularly those who'd been tracking Bourne before, to return in some capacity. However while that's possible it's just speculation at this point. Gilroy's attitude seems to be hopeful that Damon would be willing to return, at least in a supporting role, to the franchise one or two films down the line. That of course is dependent on how successful this new direction ends up being. The series really did ride on the shoulders of Damon and the high octane action scenes. The action can be recreated but creating the proper lead and getting the right actor could be trickier. Damon leaves some big shoes to fill but Gilroy seems confident in his approach and the studio appears to be on board with the idea.