Jason Bourne (Matt Damon) will meet a new nemesis in the next installment in the "Bourne" film franchise.
Variety exclusively revealed that the newest villain who will make Bourne's life difficult will be portrayed by French actor Vincent Cassel. Cassel is best known for his roles in 2010's "Black Swan" as well as the "Ocean's Twelve" and "Ocean's Thirteen" films where Damon was also part of the leading cast.
The 48-year-old actor will reportedly portray the role of a mysterious man who is being referred to as "the asset," which is allegedly the industry code for assassin. He will be the fourth major villain Bourne will face after actors Clive Owen, Karl Urban, and Edgar Ramirez appeared in the previous films.
Damon's character last appeared in the third film "The Bourne Ultimatum" (2007) where he decided to lie low after exposing Operation Treadstone and Operation Blackbriar, projects that were the sources of conflicts in the first two films, "The Bourne Identity" (2002) and "The Bourne Supremacy" (2004).
The fourth film in the "Bourne" movie franchise titled "The Bourne Legacy" (2012) featured different characters, led by Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz, and Edward Norton.
Eight years after his last appearance as Jason Bourne, Damon revealed that he and director Paul Greengrass would hang out once in a while to think of ideas for another "Bourne" movie. But they never came up with a concrete plan until the news about the National Security Agency classified information leaks caused by Edward Snowden were exposed.
"Without giving too much of it away, it's Bourne through an austerity-riddled Europe and in a post-Snowden world," Damon exclusively told Buzzfeed News. "It seems like enough has changed, you know? There are all these kinds of arguments about spying and civil liberties and the nature of democracy."
Incidentally, U.S. Senator John McCain referred to Snowden as "some kind of Jason Bourne" back in 2013.
Aside from Damon and Cassel, actor Tommy Lee Jones and "Ex Machina" star Alicia Vikander are also reportedly joining the cast, while Julia Stiles has been confirmed to reprise her role as former CIA agent Nicky Parsons.
"Bourne 5" is scheduled to premiere on July 16, 2016.
