Matt Damon is trending over James Bond, and not because anybody is casting him as 007.
An old quote from the Jason Bourne star ripping the Bond character is making the rounds on X again, with the latest post picking up nearly 100k views within hours of going up on October 1.
The post mocks Damon over the remarks, writing, “Image being this effeminate. I cannot.”
The quote resurfaces at the exact moment Bond is everywhere, as Amazon MGM closes in on casting the next 007 and the classic films head back to theaters.
Matt Damon Has Trashed James Bond For Years
The quote is real. It comes from a 2009 interview Damon gave to the Miami Herald while riding high off three Bourne movies.
“They could never make a James Bond movie like any of the Bourne films,” Damon said. He called Bond “an imperialist, misogynist sociopath” who “goes around bedding women and swilling martinis and killing people.”
“He’s repulsive,” Damon added.
It also wasn’t a one-time thing. At the 2007 London premiere of The Bourne Ultimatum, Damon told reporters Bond was “an imperialist and a misogynist who kills people and laughs about it” and said the character would always be anchored to the values of the 1960s.
As recently as 2016, Damon told GQ, “I like Bourne better than Bond,” and described Bond as a relic next to his own guilt-ridden spy.
Fans on X aren’t letting any of it slide, pointing out that Jason Bourne spends three movies killing people too, just without the martinis.
The Next James Bond Could Be Announced By The End Of The Year
The timing is why the quote is blowing up all over again.
Amazon MGM is deep into its search for the next Bond, with Denis Villeneuve directing and the film targeting 2028. Puck’s Matt Belloni reported test deals have gone out and screen tests are happening this fall, and Gary Oldman recently let slip that the actor has already been picked.
Producer Amy Pascal has said a casting announcement by the end of 2026 is “a good bet.”
Bond is also literally back in theaters in a matter of days, as Regal runs six Bond movies from October 5 through November 9, one film for each actor who has played 007, kicking off with the Casino Royale 20th anniversary re-release.
There is an extra layer to the whole thing: Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale reboot was famously Bond’s answer to the Bourne movies. Damon’s franchise changed 007, and then 007 outlasted it.
Bourne hasn’t had a movie since 2016. Bond is about to get a new actor, a Denis Villeneuve film, and a 2028 release date.
