Matt Damon Confirms Jason Bourne Is Back in Development

2 Minutes

There’s a quiet electricity in the air: Matt Damon says Jason Bourne is once again on the drawing board. He and director Edward Berger are sketching a new path for the character—one that honors the original films while aiming to bring fresh blood to the franchise.

On The Rich Eisen Show, Damon explained that he and Berger are deep in story work, trying to shape a screenplay that feels worth making. Berger, the director behind All Quiet on the Western Front, is described by Damon as a formidable filmmaker. Together they’re not rushing it. Not this time.

Damon insists the next Bourne must match the quality of the first three films and offer something new, otherwise he won’t come back.

That careful stance explains the long silence since 2016’s Jason Bourne, a film that reunited the series with director Paul Greengrass and grossed over $400 million despite mixed reviews. Damon’s point is simple: the franchise isn’t like a run-of-the-mill spy series where each episode is a standalone mission. Bourne needs a reason to return that feels essential.

Interest from behind the camera goes both ways. Berger has publicly said he wants to direct the next chapter, but only if Damon is happy with the script. Joe Barton, the writer of the series Black Doves, is credited with the latest draft. Universal reclaimed the Bourne rights in March 2025 and made revitalizing the franchise a stated goal—reboot or sequel, nothing is off the table.

In raw numbers the Bourne saga still packs a punch: five films have earned about $1.64 billion worldwide. The first three entries—The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum—remain the gold standard for fans and critics. The two later installments landed more tepid responses, which helps explain the studio’s caution now.

So what comes next? A faithful continuation. A bold reinvention. Or something in between. Damon and Berger seem intent on finding the right angle, not just any angle. And that, at least for longtime fans, is cause for cautious optimism.