Matt Damon is contemplating stepping down from the 'Bourne' action franchise and passing the role on to Russell Crowe or Denzel Washington -- because he's convinced that's the only way the brand can continue.

The actor is in talks to reprise his Jason Bourne character for the fourth time, but he is hesitant to pledge his commitment to the 'Bourne' series after director Paul Greengrass announced his departure from the spy series last year.

Discussing the rumours of another installment, Damon tells the New York Daily News, "If Paul Greengrass does it and we have something to say, definitely."

But Damon admits his time as 'Bourne' may be coming to an end -- because he thinks the franchise would work better if it evolved to introduce new actors into the lead role.

And the Hollywood star already has a few of his peers in mind.

He says, "I think the way to extend the franchise is to create a Bourne identity that different actors can take on. I could pass the identity to Russell Crowe or Denzel Washington or Ryan Gosling."