Matt Damon is best known for being Ben Affleck’s best friend and playing Jason Bourne. The American super spy franchise consisting of 5 films has amassed $1.6 billion worldwide. Damon has starred in 4 of the 5 films, with Jeremy Renner taking over for The Bourne Legacy.
After the fourth film made a less-than-respectable $280 million worldwide, fans of the Bourne franchise wanted Damon back. While the actor was hesitant to return, he still came back because he didn’t want to be an arsehole.
Why Matt Damon Returned To The Bourne Franchise One Last Time?
In a 2016 interview with GQ, Matt Damon revealed that he had been requested by multiple people over the years to return to the franchise. However, after starring in the first three films- The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Identity, and The Bourne Ultimatum, he didn’t return for the fourth one- The Bourne Legacy. So Jeremy Renner took over.
The fourth film wasn’t well received, and it grossed only $280 million globally compared to The Bourne Ultimatum, which took home $444 million worldwide. So in the end, Damon did return for the fifth film- Jason Bourne, which grossed $416 million. However, he did it not only to save the franchise but also because he didn’t want to be labeled an arsehole.
The actor said:
“Over the years, so many people would ask me about a comeback, and [director] Paul Greengrass said the same thing. So, after a certain point, you’re kind of an arsehole if you don’t give it to them.”
So will the actor return for another film in the franchise? Or is he open to starring in a reboot?
Will Matt Damon Return As Jason Bourne Ever Again?
Over the years, many have wondered if a sixth movie in the Jason Bourne franchise can be made or not. After all, even though the fifth film did act as a closure to the franchise, there’s definitely scope to expand it further. Recently, Giant Freakin Robot reported that there are talks of continuing the Jason Bourne franchise. The site stated:
“Damon is going to return to the universe of Bourne, and Paul Greengrass is also in talks to direct the new feature. Greengrass has directed three of the five Jason Bourne movies.”
However, nothing has been officially confirmed as of now. Also, fans think that if a sixth film had to happen, it would have been made by now. After all, the last film was in 2016 and it has been 7 years since then. But, it’s possible that the franchise can be rebooted, with Matt Damon perhaps returning in a new avatar or a completely new actor can lead a reboot. After all, the other famous British super spy has been rebooted plenty of times.
Jason Bourne is available on HBO Max.
Source: GQ
