It’s official! Matt Damon has confirmed that he has re-enlisted as a spy.  The actor announced to ‘E! News’ that he is on board for a fourth time as Jason Bourne, for an upcoming film to be directed by Paul Greengrass. The statement was announced unceremoniously after his friend Ben Affleck leaked the news on the red carpet for the premiere of their HBO series Project Greenlight.  Damon quickly confirmed, “Yes, [we’re filming] next year. It’ll be in 2016 when the movie will actually come out.” 

Reports have been circulating since September regarding Damon’s role in the project, but the actor had previously said that he would only return to the franchise if Greengrass, who directed The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), was on board. Following The Bourne Ultimatum, the third in the series, Greengrass walked away from the franchise.  With Bourne’s quest to regain his memories complete, Greengrass felt that the character was at a creative dead end.  In 2012, The Bourne Legacy starring Jeremy Renner in an entirely different role, Aaron Cross, was met with unenthusiastic critical and fan response. Renner had been set to reprise that role, and with Fast & Furious 6’s Justin Lin as director, the project was originally scheduled for a July 16, 2016 release date.  However, it now looks like there will be a new mission directive for Jason Bourne.

It’s still unclear what new adventures Bourne has in store for him, but fans can now fully expect a continuation to his story.