So new series director
Tony Gilroy is casting a HUGE net for
The Bourne Legacy and isn't wanting to rule out any actor for the lead role. Well, except maybe if you are black and over the age of 35. Then he doesn't want you. Gilroy has met with a bunch of actors, some very well established as stars and a few up-and-comers, to decipher who won't be Jason Bourne. That's because The Bourne Legacy is a spin-off, focusing on another agent working under Operation Treadstone and by all intents will be a completely new direction.
Variety say the names circling are;
Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire (!!!),
Garrett Hedlund (from Tron Legcay) and
Kellan Lutz (A Nightmare on Elm Street)
Deadline then followed up with;
Joel Edgerton (The Thing),
Josh Hartnett, Paul Dano, Michael Pitt, Oscar Isaac, Michael Fassbender, Taylor Kitsch, Luke Evans, Alex Pettyfer and
Benjamin Walker. And I guess that's only the names we know of! The Bourne Legacy is due to be released in August of next year, with a spring production slated, so Universal can't waste any time finding their leading man. Out of those names, I guess I would like to see a franchise built around Michael Fassbender or Benjamin Walker - but the majority of the rest, I can't say I hold the same enthusiasm for. Jake Gyllenhaal, Tobey Maguire and Paul Dano are too dweeb-ish, Josh Hartnett was tiresome in 2003, Michael Pitt is too creepy, Oscar Isaac would be a better villain and the rest seem out of their depth. But what do you think? I gave
my shortlist of names a while ago - none of whom appear here.