Zendaya poised to take over the Bourne franchise

If you fancied the idea of Zendaya fronting an iconic action franchise, you might not be waiting much longer. Rumours are circulating that she could be lining up to spearhead the next reboot of the Bourne series. Yes, you read that right—Zendaya as the new face of the world’s most memory-challenged assassin. Expect a lot of shocked reactions, because this is quite the potential shake-up.

The Word on the Street: Zendaya Meets Bourne

Reliable insider Jeff Sneider, writing on his site The InSneider, reckons Zendaya is circling the lead spot in the Bourne saga. According to him, Zendaya is 'ready to stop playing second-fiddle in giant studio blockbusters'. Translation: she’s out for the number one slot now. Sneider claims the Bourne films are ripe for a bold reboot, and this relaunch would apparently revolve around a female amnesiac spy, not our old pal Jason Bourne. Zendaya is rumoured to have already had discussions about taking over from Matt Damon in Universal's long-running franchise.

"Zendaya is ready to stop playing second-fiddle in giant studio blockbusters."

What’s the Bourne Track Record, Then?

Just for a bit of background: Matt Damon carried the Bourne franchise for more than a decade, starring in four entries between 2002 and 2016. He sat out The Bourne Legacy (that one was Jeremy Renner’s turn). The big box office winner was 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum, raking in over $440 million globally on a $130 million budget. The most recent Damon outing, 2016’s Jason Bourne, wasn’t far off—$415 million worldwide against a slightly smaller $120 million spend. All told, Bourne is a serious money-spinner, and there’s big expectation on whoever steps into those running shoes next.

• Matt Damon’s Bourne Films: The Bourne Identity (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), Jason Bourne (2016)—he missed The Bourne Legacy (2012).
• Top-grossing film: The Bourne Ultimatum ($440m worldwide).
• Last Damon entry: Jason Bourne in 2016 ($415m worldwide).

Zendaya’s Schedule Is Getting Packed

If Zendaya does sign on for Bourne, she’ll have absolutely no time to breathe next year. She’s already got a packed slate for 2026. Next month alone, two major blockbusters—Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s massive adaptation of The Odyssey—are set to hit cinemas. To add to that, she’ll turn up yet again alongside Timothée Chalamet in Dune: Part Three later in the year.

She wasn’t exactly resting this year, either—you might have seen her in The Drama, alongside Robert Pattinson, Hailey Gates, Alana Haim, Zoe Winters, and Mamoudou Athie. All things considered, if Bourne does end up going Zendaya’s way, expect the internet to melt down at least twice.