Matt Damon has spoken out to say that he is thoroughly comfortable with the fact that, should the Jason Bourne franchise continue for some time, he'll eventually have to be replaced. This much isn't too surprising given that he's already taken a step back from the franchise previously, with Jeremy Renner taking over in the last movie.

Matt Damon in Jason BourneMatt Damon reprises his titular role in 'Jason Bourne'

He's currently promoting the fifth installment of the franchise, entitled simply 'Jason Bourne', which is being released fourteen years after the first film 'The Bourne Identity'. It's been going this long so far, so there's nothing to stop it continuing for another decade or so - but Matt Damon will be well into his 50s by then.

The actor told the Hollywood Reporter that he's 'definitely going to be replaced some day by some new young Jason Bourne', during a promotional run for his latest film. 'That happens to everybody, and they reboot these things, and that's totally fine', he said. 'The only control I can exercise is over the [projects] that I'm part of. I'm the curator of them as long as I'm involved and that's why I battled so hard to make sure that we got the same creative people to get involved in this one.'

Watch the trailer for 'Jason Bourne' here:


 

Damon said after the third movie, 'The Bourne Ultimatum' in 2007, that he wouldn't reprise his role as Jason Bourne again without director Paul Greengrass signing on. He kept his word too; there was no sign of him in the 2012 follow-up 'The Bourne Legacy' which was directed by the franchise screenwriter Tony Gilroy and starred Jeremy Renner. However, Greengrass is back again, and so is Damon. Though the actor knows he won't be fit for the series forever.

'It's difficult when you're 45 compared to when you're 29, but you still have to run as fast as you can', he confessed. 'That part was a challenge but to get to revisit the people was wonderful. But I said, let's smell the roses as we say and appreciate that we get to be here together and make sure we have fun.'

'Jason Bourne' is set to be released in the US on July 29th 2016.