After starring in three "Bourne" films, Matt Damon confirmed via E! Online that he is set to reprise his role as Jason Bourne for the franchise's next installment.

The announcement came as a surprise on Friday when co-star and long-time friend Ben Affleck told the outlet, "Well, [Damon's] going to be doing a 'Bourne' movie next fall when I've just completely lost any semblance of physical fitness."

Affleck and Damon were on the red-carpet in the midst of promoting the fourth season of their HBO docu-series program "Project Greenlight."

When asked by E! to clarify Affleck's statement, Damon denied no further. The 44-year-old actor revealed, "It'll be in 2016 when the movie will actually come out. [Director] Paul Greengrass is going to do another one and that's all I ever said. I just needed him to say yes."

Yet the news may not be very surprising. Cinema Blend cited rumors back in September, speculating negotiations between Damon and Greengrass. In an earlier report, the source noted Damon's decision to depart from the franchise when Greengrass didn't direct it. As a result, the fourth installment, "The Bourne Legacy," starred Jeremy Renner under the direction of Tony Gilroy.

According to BBC, Greengrass has directed two previous Bourne films -- "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "The Bourne Supremacy."

Damon is currently working on Ridley Scott's "The Martian," said Screen Rant. The film is slated for release in Nov. 2015. In addition, the outlet cited that the actor will be starring in Alexander Payne's "Downsizing," a satirical sci-fi movie.

Unofficially titled as "Bourne 5," the franchise's new installment is set to hit the big screen on July 15, 2016. This raises controversy, as the sequel to "The Bourne Legacy" (starring Renner as Aaron Cross) is originally set by Universal Pictures to premiere on the same month and year. Cinema Blend added that it will be directed by Justin Lin.

The storyline for "Bourne 5" remains to be a theory at this point. Crave Online previously wrote that the plot could overlap with the earlier films, adding action sequences.

Realty Today noted that Affleck's "Batman vs Superman: Dawn of Justice" is due for release on May 25, 2016 -- when Damon's new "Bourne" film arrives just around a month after. Could there be competition?

In an interview with Access Hollywood, the two actors just used humor to answer the question. Damon told interviewer Shaun Robinson, "Well, first of all, Batman is not real and Jason Bourne is."

Affleck responded, "If Batman is fighting Superman, I think he's a little past Jason Bourne."

What do you think about Matt Damon reprising his role for "Bourne 5?" And what about Jeremy Renner -- will he be doing a separate film or join Damon's cast? Sound off in the comments below!