Matt Damon Is In Fortnite Now, But He Was Almost In His Own Game Way Earlier
- Fortnite is introducing multiple skins based on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey.
- The development team originally planned for Matt Damon to reprise his role as Jason Bourne for the title, but the partnership never materialized.
- Damon stated he was interested in the project and received a significant financial offer to participate.
Matt Damon’s Fortnite Debut and The Odyssey
Fortnite is introducing multiple skins based on Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. Among these additions is a character model of Matt Damon in his role as Odysseus. While the actor is now a playable entity in the battle royale title, he previously declined a lead role in a dedicated gaming project nearly two decades ago.
The Failed Collaboration with The Bourne Conspiracy
In 2008, High Moon Studios released The Bourne Conspiracy. The development team originally planned for Matt Damon to reprise his role as Jason Bourne for the title, but the partnership never materialized. Damon provided details regarding the collapse of the deal during a 2021 interview on the series Hot Ones with Sean Evans.
Damon stated he was interested in the project and received a significant financial offer to participate. However, he disagreed with the game’s direction. According to Damon, he did not want the project to be just a first-person shooter
and pushed for a more cerebral experience.
To illustrate his vision, Damon cited the puzzle-adventure game Myst. He pointed to Myst as a reference because the title lacks gunfire, car chases, stealth, or hand-to-hand combat. High Moon Studios ultimately viewed this approach as a non-starter and proceeded with development without the actor’s involvement.
Cast and Development of The Bourne Conspiracy
The final version of The Bourne Conspiracy lacked the involvement of both Matt Damon and Chris Cooper, who played Alexander Conklin in The Bourne Identity. Franka Potente, who portrayed Marie in the first two films of the franchise, did return for the game.
The resulting game utilized a combination of brawling, stealth, shooting, and driving mechanics.
The Status of the Bourne Film Franchise
The cinematic Bourne series has remained largely inactive for several years. The most recent entry, Jason Bourne, was released in 2016. The franchise’s core output is generally identified as the first three films, concluding with The Bourne Ultimatum.