Universal has unleashed the trailer for The Bourne Legacy, the fourth in the spy series and the first without Matt Damon. Jeremy Renner (The Avengers, The Hurt Locker) is joining the top-secret government program now, part of an expanded scope directed by loyal series writer Tony Gilroy (writer/director of Michael Clayton). The trailer, and by extension the studio, explain the Damon-less continuation by saying “there was never just one” and Damon’s Bourne was “just the tip of the iceberg.” If Bond can switch it up, so can Bourne.
Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz join the program, as his handler and doctor presumably, along with the return of a concerned-looking Joan Allen, Albert Finney, and David Strathairn. Plus Gilroy has dropped Paul Greengrass’ “shaky cam” aesthetic for a clean look as Renner dispatches enemies or catches a tree ride down. The action is sparse (redacted even), but the tone suggests a more lethal hero and a conspiracy that only goes deeper.
Watch the teaser trailer below, courtesy of Apple:
The Bourne Legacy is set for August 3, 2012. Here’s the teaser poster with the same redacted effect, though the tagline mostly just makes me hungry for Lay’s potato chips:
