Matt Damon confirms return to Jason Bourne franchise

LOS ANGELES — Matt Damon will be back as Bourne.

After Variety reported in September that Universal was in the early stages of bringing Damon and Jason Bourne director Paul Greengrass back for another installment, Damon confirmed to E! News his return to the role while celebrating the return of he and Ben Affleck’s “Project Greenlight” Friday night.

“Well, [Damon’s] going to be doing a Bourne movie next fall when I’ve just completely lost any semblance of physical fitness,” Affleck told E! News.

“Yes, next year,” Damon said when asked for clarification. “It’ll be in 2016 when the movie will actually come out. Paul Greengrass is going to do another one and that’s all I ever said. I just needed him to say yes.”

The next film will mark Damon and Greengrass’ third collaboration, and the fifth film in the series.

Doubt sprouted of the return of Damon and Greengrass over the summer, with Greengrass telling Deadline that he didn’t believe he could make another Jason Bourne film that would be as good as his last two.

Universal, though, is currently developing an untitled film set in the Bourne world with Jeremy Renner returning to play Aaron Cross, with Justin Lin directing. That movie is currently slated for July 2016, though it’s unclear if that film will stay there or if they other Bourne movie will take its place.

Damon’s Bourne movies grossed nearly $1 billion at the box office in between 2002 and 2007.

Variety broke the news the news last month that Greengrass, who last directed “Captain Phillips,” will direct Berlin Wall drama “The Tunnels.”