The Insider.com

The Bourne series takes on a new identity in its upcoming fourth installment, The Bourne Legacy, which doesn't feature the franchise's protagonist "Jason Bourne," who was portrayed by Matt Damon. Jeremy Renner, who plays Legacy's protagonist, said that there was no pressure on him for the film despite filling in for Damon as the lead.

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"I think the pressure was on Tony [Gilroy] (writer, director), on the Creatives, to try to make a 'Bourne' movie without Jason Bourne," Renner said. "I think they did it cleverly and brilliantly...All I had to do was just fill in Page 1 to 120 and help Tony tell a story."

RELATED: Jeremy Renner Talks 'Bourne Legacy'

With the immense popularity of the franchise's original three films, Renner said that he didn't hesitate to accept the role from a creative standpoint but, rather, hesitated from a personal point of view.

Although he played a role in the popular film Thor, which he reprised in the mega-film The Avengers, Renner is not accustomed to playing the protagonist in major films and was slightly worried about the personal scrutiny that would follow Legacy. However, the 41-year-old actor said that his peers shot down his hesitation and convinced him to undertake the role.

VIDEO: 'Bourne Legacy' Trailer

"Everybody around me slapped me in the face and said, 'Stop being silly! Go do the movie!" he said.

While signing on for a role in a monumental franchise like Bourne may be perceived as a telling point for Renner in his 17-year acting career, he revealed that he doesn't get overly excited about where he stands in his career. Above all, he said he's grateful to be working in a profession that he enjoys.

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"Consciously, I pinch myself probably every other day...but that's just sort of in life [what] I do in general," he said. "I just feel like I'm lucky to be alive and happy to be doing what I love to do for a living 'cause I feel like 90 percent of people hate their jobs."

Check out the full video above for Renner's full interview as well as interviews from Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton on The Bourne Legacy, which is in theaters August 10.