We have to start with the caveat that Renner is not playing Jason Bourne, he’s playing another lead assassin spy character so that they can continue this successful franchise without relying on Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass. Greengrass had some issues with Universal after going way over budget for The Green Zone. Damon is loyal to Greengrass, and while he’s vacillated on whether he’ll do another Bourne movie his latest comments have him leaving the door open as long as Greengrass comes back to direct. So that hasn’t happened yet and they need to get the ball rolling on this sequel reboot nonsense so they can cash in on the Bourne name.

We’ve heard casting rumors for a while, including that Shia “mommy issues” Labeouf was in talks for the alterna-Bourne role. Thank goodness that’s not happening. We now have confirmation of the rumor that Jeremy Renner is the new lead:

The search is over. Universal Pictures has formally offered Jeremy Renner the lead role in the Tony Gilroy-directed The Bourne Legacy. Renner, who has been nominated for Oscars the past two years for his work in The Hurt Locker and The Town, is expected to sign on quickly to play a new character in the spinoff film that begins production in September. Like the Jason Bourne character played by Matt Damon in the first three The Bourne Identity thrillers, Renner will play an operative from a covert government program that is even more dangerous than the Treadstone brainwashing program that hatched Bourne.

Renner was one of the names rumored as the studio went through two cycles of tests over eight weeks to find the right guy. That decision was made today. Even though Renner plays an operative in the upcoming Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol, the studio felt clearly that he was in a position similar to where Damon was when his career took off with Bourne. Renner is not a kid, but he is really hitting his stride and poised to become a big star after numerous strong performances.

[From Deadline]

As Kaiser wrote when she first covered this rumor, the series is named Bourne. It’s about one character, that’s his last name (his new last name) and yet somehow they’re putting some other spy in there and giving us a spinoff. How are they going to present that? They’re going to need to be creative about branding and making Renner’s character into his own kick-ass guy. That said, he’s a great choice. He’s can easily show the same kind of dual humanity and “take no prisoners” persona that Damon embodies because he’s a fabulous actor. He won’t fill Damon’s shoes though, and it’s a good thing they’re not trying to do that. It’s going to be a bitch to try and do justice to this incredible series with a fourth movie and a new character, but I hope they at least try.

Jeremy Renner is shown on 2/27/11 at the VF Oscar Party. Credit: WENN and Fame. Bourne photos via AllMoviePhoto

Jason Bourne is not amused.