Alicia Vikander drops Assassin's Creed to star in Matt Damon's untitled Bourne 5 project

Alicia Vikander is fast becoming someone to watch, and now the up-and-coming Swedish actress has landed herself a role opposite Matt Damon in a currently untitled Jason Bourne project.

Vikander is already featuring in six films this year, including the previously released Ex Machina, Adam Jones starring Bradley Cooper and Emma Thompson and The Danish Girl with Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne. Add those to the three films she featured in in 2014, starting with Testament Of Youth where she played Game Of Thrones' Kit Harington's love interest, and it's clear she's becoming hot property.

So it comes as no surprise to learn that when she was first presented with the lead role in Bourne 5, the 28-year-old reportedly tried to work out a way of juggling her busy schedule so that she could take part in the fifth instalment and star in a title she had already been linked to – an Assassin's Creed movie adaptation - simultaneously.

However, with both scheduled to start shooting this year, eventually Vikander was forced to choose between the two, opting for the film associated with the already-established cinematic series over the spin-off of the popular videogame.

Greek actress Ariane Labed (Before Midnight, The Lobster) has been cast in the adaptation alongside Michael Fassbender, replacing Vikander. However, details of what her role will be exactly have yet to be revealed.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Julia Stiles is set to be returning to the Bourne franchise reprising her CIA agent, but there has been no news yet as to whether regulars Scott Glenn David Strathairn or Joan Allen will be making a comeback.

Rumours have suggested that Paul Greengrass, director of both The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, will be helming the picture and according to The Wrap Viggo Mortensen has been offered the role of the villain in the anticipated sequel.