Matt Damon Wants Back In For 'Bourne 5', But Does The Franchise Want Him Back?

There is only one Jason Bourne and his name is Matt Damon. In The Bourne Legacy

, the latest film in the franchise, Jeremy Renner plays CIA operative Aaron Cross. He’s NOT replacing Damon as Bourne, just in case anyone is still confused.

Damon and director Paul Greengrass refused to be a part of this fourth film, sadly, as they saw Bourne’s story arc as being completed. Well, that and bickering over Tony Gilroy’s script, which Damon described as ‘unreadable’ and a ‘career-ender’ before eventually apologizing. However, it looks like Jason Bourne is open to eventually returning for a fifth film.

Speaking at Comic-Con during the panel for his upcoming Elysium

, Damon said (via The Playlist):

Look, Ive been interested in doing another one for five years, We just cant figure out the script. Im up for it, but again its all about the script, its got to be a good one.

That’s what we like to hear. None of the usual cashing in on endless sequels attitude; it’s all about the story for the outspoken actor, and that’s really admirable. Heaven knows we don’t want to see that trilogy of great films ruined by a lackluster sequel. In a separate interview with Coming Soon, Damon emphasized:

I really want to do another one and I think Paul Greengrass does too.

It would certainly be great to see the pair return. The Bourne films were such a fresh and exciting look at the tired world of spy films that they even forced James Bond to reinvent himself. However, now that Tony Gilroywho wrote all five filmshas also stepped in as director on The Bourne Legagy, his plan surely isn’t to keep the seat warm for Paul Greengrass. If the film turns out to be a success, Gilroy is unlikely to step down.

The likelier possibility is that Renner’s Aaron Cross will get his own franchise, and Bourne will be left standing out in the cold. Matt Damon knows it, too, judging from this interview with E!Online:

Tony [Gilroy] is really smart, he’s a really good writer and a really good director and I’m sure he made a good movie. The question will be if they can franchise that movie, because if they can, then they’ll be done with me. They’ll just keep making those.

At the end of the day, no matter how good The Bourne Legacy turns out, what most of us would really like to see is Aaron Cross and Jason Bourne teaming up. How badass would that be?!