Matt Damon: 'It would be unbelievable if I returned as Jason Bourne'

Matt Damon has shot down suggestions he will be returning to the Bourne film franchise, insisting writers would have to come up with an unbelievable plot to reintroduce his character Jason Bourne.

Damon stepped aside after starring in three movies when studio executives and director Paul Greengrass fell out over the proposed story line for a fourth film, and Jeremy Renner and director Tony Gilroy replaced the pair in summer (12) hit The Bourne Legacy.

Renner has often hinted at the possibility of teaming his character, Aaron Cross, up with Damon's Bourne in a future film, but the original franchise star insists the plot of Legacy has ended his involvement in the films for good.

Despite previously stating he would be interested in another Bourne film as long as Greengrass is onboard to direct, Damon now tells Movieline.com, "Because they (writers and Tony Gilroy) use our actors and characters... whatever they said (in Legacy) is true and so we'd have to acknowledge it in any Bourne movie that we'd do.

"That makes it really tough. I don't think we can do the Dallas (TV drama) it-was-all-a-dream scenario. I don't think the audience would go for that after they paid money to see a movie."

Patrick Duffy's Dallas character, Bobby Ewing, was re-introduced to viewers in 1986 - after leaving the show the previous year - when he stepped out of the shower. His character's wife, played by Victoria Principal, realized Ewing's death and everything that had come after it during the previous season had been a dream.