The fantastic Bourne series is set to continue later this year without star Matt Damon (and without the character of Jason Bourne) in The Bourne Legacy. Jeremy Renner takes the lead role this time around, and the first image of him in character as "Aaron Cross" has hit the web. The franchise entry isn't so much a reboot, but a separate story that takes place in the same Bourne universe. Tony Gilroy, who wrote the first three Bourne flicks, is in the director’s chair and Renner is surrounded by an impressive ensemble that includes Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac, Joan Allen, Albert Finney, and Edward Norton as the villain. While this first image isn't exactly the most riveting of stills, it gives us a look at a pretty intense Renner death stare. The pic is one of my most anticipated of the year, and I’m looking forward to seeing how Renner picks up where Damon left off.Hit the jump to check out the image. The Bourne Legacy opens August 3rd. [Update: We've updated the article with the hi-res version of the image.]Here's the official synopsis for The Bourne Legacy:

The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in the next chapter of the hugely popular espionage franchise that has earned almost $1 billion at the global box office: The Bourne Legacy.  The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.

For The Bourne Legacy, Renner joins fellow series newcomers Rachel Weisz, Edward Norton, Stacy Keach and Oscar Isaac, while franchise veterans Albert Finney, Joan Allen, David Strathairn and Scott Glenn reprise their roles.