Over the years, Matt Damon has established himself as one of the most talented actors in Hollywood. If there is a movie that is catching the eyes of critics, chances are that he has some part to play in it, be it as an actor, a producer, or a writer. While he has been making his way through critically acclaimed films like it is his hobby, he was once a part of quite an iconic series.
His performance in the Bourne franchise has been iconic in many ways. He brought life to the role in more ways than one, helping establish the series as a classic in the world of action. In 2016, the actor came back in the role for what fans thought would be a final time. However, recent speculations hint at a return for the actor, almost ten years after the last film’s release.
With this in mind, Damon gave an interview where he talked about his previous return in Jason Bourne, and what brought that about.
Matt Damon and His Romance With Jason Bourne
Matt Damon and the character of Jason Bourne have had an on-and-off relationship over the years. From 2002 to 2007, the title was solely held by him, playing the character in three films and completely capturing the attention of the audience. However, soon after the release of the third film, The Bourne Ultimatum, it was announced that he would be stepping away from the role.
Thinking that all was done, a new person was brought onto the team, and Jeremy Renner played the character in 2012’s The Bourne Legacy. Although fans wanted more from the franchise, it became evident through the new film’s performance that they did not want a new actor to wear his face. With this in mind, 2016’s Jason Bourne was released starring Damon, almost ten years after he stepped away from the role.
Many were curious about the exact reason that changed his mind about retiring from the role, and during an interview with The Smithsonian Magazine, he revealed exactly this.
Matt Damon and Fake Retirements
Matt Damon started by mentioning that a film had been in the works for a very long time, with ideas being through around here and there. They wanted to come back but were unsure if a return would be the best thing for his character. Believing to have said all that they could with his character, they did not want to make another movie with his version of Bourne just to make an extra buck.
However, they did have one possible condition that would have them come back; a change in the political and social climate of the world. Since the themes of the franchise surrounded that of the government, they wanted to say something about the movie that they made. Due to this, even though they knew that they wanted to make more with the franchise, they waited until things changed.
Well, we talked about it periodically over the years. We both wanted to do it someday, maybe, but we were kind of done with the character. We didn’t know if he had anything left to say. We needed to wait for the world to change a little bit. And that happened.
All the issues of national security that are alive now are interesting, and different from the ones during the Bush Administration. We got to a point where we felt the character would have something to say about this, so let’s bring him back.
In an ever-changing world, this was inevitable, and audiences got the reward for their patience. After realizing when the time was right, the sequel was put into effect, and the film was made. Considering the fact that Damon has led fans astray before by telling them that he has retired, it is very likely that he could be coming back for another film.
It has been confirmed that a sixth Bourne film is already in the works. During an appearance on The Late Show earlier this year, the actor was asked bluntly if he was going to be a part of this film. Dancing around the subject, he neither confirmed nor denied his involvement in the project, which is being directed by Edward Berger. With this in mind, it is safe to say that fans are quite excited at the possibility of his comeback.
All films from the Bourne franchise are available for streaming on Prime Video.
