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Every so often, rumors surface about a potential sixth installment in "The Bourne Identity" franchise. Star Matt Damon has consistently expressed his openness to returning, provided there's a compelling script. Recently, while promoting his new Netflix film, "The Instigators," Damon appeared on Netflix's own podcast, "Skip Intro," where he shed light on why developing sequels for the action series proves challenging.
Damon explained, "The problem is finding a story worth telling again. We all love the franchise, but we initially made it as a standalone film, not planning a trilogy." He continued, "We never intended for it to be a long-running series. It was never meant to be like James Bond, where you can easily swap out actors or even the main character. Each installment of 'Bourne' features a different villain, a different mission, a different story, which makes it much harder to sustain. It was never designed to be a franchise like Bond."
(Image source: Universal Pictures)
Damon also elaborated on the narrative challenges of extending the storyline. "I'd love to do another one, but it's tough because the core concept of the story is his amnesia, his struggle to regain his memory," he said. "In the first three films, I think I regained my memory three times (laughs). I feel like with each movie, I'd say, 'I remember everything now.' Then in the next one, I'd realize, 'Oh! There was still a part I hadn't remembered before, but now I have.' So, we've kind of run out of ideas."
(Image source: Warner Bros. Pictures)
However, compared to "The Bourne Identity," Damon's other franchise, "Ocean's Eleven," has a much stronger chance of a continuation, with production reportedly set to begin this year. The host then naturally asked if his good friend Ben Affleck might make a cameo. Damon responded, saying Affleck would be thrilled! (laughs) He imagined Affleck saying, "I've always wanted to be in that series, what number are you on now?" Damon mused that they might have him cameo as himself, perhaps playing poker in a casino.