Jeremy Renner has revealed that he would have instantly turned down the lead role in 'The Bourne Legacy' had the part been Matt Damon's Jason Bourne. Renner plays new secret agent Aaron Cross in the film, which is directed by Tony Gilroy after Paul Greengrass walked away from the franchise.
Renner - an Oscar nominated actor in his own right - admitted that he didn't want to simply take over from Matt Damon, who had proved a huge success in a trilogy that has grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide. Speaking to the Press Association, Renner explained, "It was a yes before I even got the script, creatively, even though I didn't know what the heck it was. I always knew it wasn't Jason Bourne so it was something to consider. It was an instant 'no' if that was the case. Who wants to do that? Matt will always be Bourne". The actor explained how Aaron is a contrasting character to Jason Bourne, saying, "Aaron Cross is a guy who wants to fit in and be a part of something. He's completely the opposite of who Jason Bourne was.Bourne was just trying to find out who the hell he was, but Aaron Cross knows exactly who he is. He knows what he wants to do and that's being a part of this team".
The Bourne Legacy - which also stars Ed Norton and Rachel Weisz - hits cinemas in the U.S. and UK on Friday (August 13, 2012),