Cassel ‘to take on Damon in Bourne’

Vincent Cassel will reportedly battle Matt Damon in the next Bourne Identity movie.

According to Variety magazine, the French actor has been cast as the villain in the as yet untitled instalment of the spy franchise.

And although the casting has yet to be officially confirmed, the outlet reported Vincent’s role will be that of an assassin attempting to track down the ever elusive Bourne, played by Matt.

Vincent is due to star alongside Alicia Vikander and Tommy Lee Jones in the film, while Julia Stiles is also set to return to the franchise as Nicky.

He is certainly no stranger to playing a villainous character, with turns as the bad guy in movies including the Oscar-winning Black Swan.

Paul Greengrass, who directed The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, is back to helm the next instalment.

The film is currently in its pre-production stage and a tentative release date has been set for July 29, 2016.

The last film in the franchise saw Jeremy Renner take the lead role, starring as Black ops agent Aaron Cross in The Bourne Legacy.

But Matt previously admitted he had never ruled out a return to one of his most famous parts, and insisted his comeback depended on whether or not Paul would be returning too.

“I’ve always been open to if, if Paul Greengrass is the director,” Matt said. “We’ve just never been able to come up with a story.”

Plot details of the film have yet to be revealed.