RUMOR: Jeremy Renner To Be Offered Lead In Bourne Legacy?

LatinoReview is reporting on the rumor that Jeremy Renner could be offered the lead role in the Bourne Legacy. The prequel would focus on another operative in the Treadstone program leaving things open for Matt Damon to return.

Renner is quickly becoming the go-to-guy for action films. He earned two Oscar nominations for his roles in Hurt Locker and The Town. He's also starring in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol with the possibility of taking over the franchise. Jeremy is currently shooting the horror action film Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters opposite Gemma Arterton and will shoot Avengers soon after. I think Renner is becoming a real American action star something that has been lacking in the last couple of years. Hopefully the studio goes with him and we get another solid Bourne film.

Actors Start Testing For Bourne Legacy

Deadline reports that Tony Gilroy's Bourne Legacy is heating up as the first group of actors to test have been revealed. They include Joel Edgerton (The Thing, Animal Kingdom, Warrior, King Aurthur), Luke Evans (Three Musketeers, The Raven, Immortals), Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy, Troy) and Dominic Cooper (Captain America, An Education).

Joel and Luke are my favorites of this group. Cooper doesn't seem a good fit for the Bourne franchise. Garrett has been linked to other films like Akira and Daredevil so I'm not sure how interest he would be.

Bourne Legacy Moves On

Tony Gilroy, writer of the first three Bourne films and director of Duplicity and Michael Clayton, is writing and directing the Bourne spin-off "Bourne Legacy." Empire Magazine reports that he is currently taking meetings with several actors to replace Matt Damon.

Yes, Bourne Legacy will NOT star Matt Damon. Specific reasons can only be speculated but there haven’t been any reports that would suggest a negative separation. I think Damon and Paul Greengrass (Director of Bourne 1-3) are just ready to move on. Continuing with Bourne Legacy, so far (according to Deadline) there is a long list of actors pursuing this role: Jake Gyllenhaal, Joel Edgerton, Josh Hartnett, Tobey Maguire, Paul Dano, Micheal Pitt, Oscar Isaac, Garrett Hedlund, Micheal Fassbender, Luke Evans, Alex Pettyfer, Taylor Kitsch and Benjamin Walker. This is a ridiculous list; half of these candidates are absurd and the other half are already attached to many other projects. For example, Tobey Maguire...his mere consideration is an insult to the franchise or even pretty boys like Alex Pettyfer (I am Number Four) or Taylor Kitsch (Wolverine: X-men Origins) don’t come remotely close to the likes of a potential successor. But on the other side of things better actors such as Micheal Fassbender, Paul Dano and Jake Gyllenhaal are already attached to many other films and (in my opinion) just don't seem to fit either.

Out of this odd assortment of actors personally, I think Garrett Hedlund (Tron, Four Brothers) or Joel Edgerton (Animal Kingdom) would be good choices. Both would take the film in different dirrections but they share similar attributes in their versatility, intensity and rising careers. Garrett Hedlund, I know is somewhat of a strange choice but his roles in “Death Sentence” and “Four Brothers” showcase his adaptability, and capable honesty and grit. But despite my opinion, I think it’s safe to say that Jake Gyllenhaal and Josh Hartnett are forerunners.

Bourne Legacy Moves Forward, Universal Hires Writer

Deadline reports that Universal is moving forward with the fourth Bourne film with the working title The Bourne Legacy. They've hired screenwriter Tony Gilroy who worked on all three of the previous films. It's expected Gilroy will be asked to direct since he helmed Michael Clayton and Duplicity. It's unlikely Matt Damon will return to the franchise so expect the role to be re-cast.