Tony Gilroy’s The Bourne Legacy Without Bourne?

The Bourne Legacy huge update! Director Tony Gilroy has been meeting with several actors this week to find the lead for the upcoming franchise that will this time, revolve around a new assassin with a similar background as Jason Bourne’s.

I’m sure you’ll be satisfied to hear that Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire, Garrett Hedlund, Taylor Kitsch and Kellan Lutz are all being considered to play that assassin.

But that’s not all! According to Deadline, Gilroy will also be meeting with Joel Edgerton, Josh Hartnett, Paul Dano, Michael Pitt, Oscar Isaac, Michael Fassbender, Luke Evans, Alex Pettyfer and Benjamin Walker.

So, you already guess, nothing is official at the moment, but, as Variety report – Gilroy has an idea of what kind of actor he wants while Universal has their own ideas about who they want on that poster; it’s implied the studio’s vision doesn’t align perfectly with Gilroy’s.

They also added that no other casting decisions are likely to be made until the lead is set, lending the search some urgency if production is to begin in the spring as planned.

“It’s a completely original screenplay. This is not a reboot or a recast or a prequel. No one’s replacing Matt Damon. There will be a whole new hero, a whole new chapter… this is a stand-alone project,”

Gilroy explained and added:

“The easiest way to think of it is an expansion or a reveal. Jason Bourne will not be in this film, but he’s very much alive. What happened in the first three films is the trigger for what happens. I’m building a legend and an environment and a wider conspiracy… the world we’re making enhances and advances and invites Jason Bourne’s return [down the road]. Everything you saw in the first three films actually happened, and everyone who got into will be rewarded for paying attention. We’re going to show you the bigger picture, the bigger canvas. When you see what we’re going and see what we’re doing it’ll be pretty obvious… but Jason Bourne’s actvities in the first three films is the immediate trigger.”

The focus on a new character will allow for the possibility that Matt Damon could return to the franchise in some fashion.

Universal Pictures is planning to release The Bourne Legacy in August of 2012, so we definitely expect to hear more updates in a next few days. And you know what that means?

Let’s start a quiz – who’s the perfect one for the role?