Universal Pictures
Yes, kids, Jason Bourne is really returning, and the latest bits of news should make you feel both at home and excited for another installment once again starring Matt Damon as the formerly amnesiac action hero and true star of this franchise (sorry Jeremy Renner). Firstly, according to Deadline, Julia Stiles is also now signed on to return for Bourne 5 in the role of Nicky Parsons.
Stiles has been in this from the beginning, and frankly she might even have the better character arc. I not only am glad she’s back, but I hope we learn even more about her past, with and without the franchise’s title operative. Actually, his arc was tied up nicely at the end of the original trilogy, with The Bourne Ultimatum. Maybe this one should be Nicky’s showcase.
Secondly, The Wrap’s Jeff Sneider tweeted that Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen has been offered a part in the sequel as a “bad guy.” This isn’t as concrete as the Stiles casting, but it’s out there for us to contemplate for now. If true, it will give us a rare Mortensen villain that we’ve been anticipating for a while now. He was talked up for Zod in Man of Steel and a baddie in The Hateful Eight, but neither happened.
No other members of the cast have been confirmed, either, though It Girl Alicia Vikander is reportedly up for a part. Maybe she’ll also be a baddie – that’s what I’ve been hoping since I’d rather not see Bourne matched with a love interest again, especially if Stiles/Nicky are around. Few actors from the original trilogy are even really capable of returning. Joan Allen could come back, but I hate her character so hopefully not.
What about a character from The Bourne Legacy to tie back in that unloved (except by me) sidequel starring Renner. We know he won’t appear, but how about a Rachel Weisz cameo? Probably not. The only other certainty is that Paul Greengrass, who directed The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, is back to helm the fifth movie.
Bourne 5, which obviously needs a real title soon (The Rogue Bourne would fit the latest title trend), is due in theaters on July 29, 2016.
