Matt Damon Reveals The Real Reason Why Jason Bourne 6 Is Taking So Long

Jason Bourne 6‘s delay gets a new explanation.

Based on the book series by Robert Ludlum, the Bourne franchise hasn’t seen a new installment since 2016’s Jason Bourne. It was revealed in 2023 that a new installment is in the works at Universal, and subsequent reports have provided differing updates on the project, including whether Damon would return and the involvement of director Edward Berger.

During a recent interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Damon addresses Bourne 6 once more, affirming that he wants to return and that Berger is still involved. As for why the sixth film is taking so long, Damon says it’s a matter of getting the story right. Check out his full comment below:

I’m talking to—there’s a great director named Ed Berger. He did All Quiet on the Western Front. He’s a wonderful director, and we’re talking about it. We’re just trying to figure out — we’re trying to nail the story down. Because I’d love to do it.

Damon’s update follows recent rumors claiming that Universal is looking to entirely reboot the character. These rumors suggested that Zendaya was actually a top choice to take over as a female lead for the franchise. These rumors, however, were never substantiated with any reporting from more reputable sources.

10 years after the release of Jason Bourne, Damon, it seems, is still very much in the mix to return. Even though he’s now 55 years old, an age when some actors may consider taking a step back from heavy action roles, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey proves that he’s still very capable of looking convincing in fight scenes and other action sequences.

Berger, on the other hand, is coming off of the release of Ballad of a Small Player (2025), a film that failed to generate the same critical acclaim as his previous outing, Conclave (2024). Prior to that Oscar-winning papal drama, Berger directed All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) for Netflix, a gritty and haunting adaptation of the 1929 novel of the same name.

Damon’s comments echo those Berger made in an interview with Empire last fall, in which he stresses the importance of getting the script right. The director said:

I’d love to do it, but it depends on the script — whether we can find something for Matt Damon to play that he hasn’t before, and something that I don’t feel Paul Greengrass or the other directors have done. [Bourne] has such a legacy. You don’t want to make a film where people say, “Ah, it’s not as good as the others.” There are many hurdles.

After Doug Liman helmed The Bourne Identity (2002), Paul Greengrass took over as director for The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), the latter of which is still a franchise highlight in terms of critical acclaim and box office. Tony Gilroy’s The Bourne Legacy (2012) then attempted to reboot the franchise with Jeremy Renner to mixed results.

Damon’s return as the titular hero for Jason Bourne, a film that reunited him with Greengrass, was also met with a mixed reception. The film has a lackluster 56% on Rotten Tomatoes, tying it with Legacy. There hasn’t been an especially strong Bourne movie, then, in almost 20 years, making it no surprise that Damon and Berger want to nail down a strong script.

It remains to be seen whether Jason Bourne 6 will find a path forward with a compelling story. Damon is evidently still interested, though, so it could only be a matter of time before more concrete news about the franchise’s future emerges.