Ocean’s 8: Matt Damon cameo ‘CUT’ – months after thousands signed petition wanting him out

Damon was thought to have filmed a brief appearance for the new film, which is set after the events of Ocean’s Eleven, Twelve and Thirteen – with Sandra Bullock playing the sister of George Clooney’s Danny Ocean.

Last year a petition was launched calling for Damon’s appearance to be scrapped, after he made comments about the #MeToo movement that some took issue with (he later apologised).

It’s unknown if his absence from the film is related in any way to that petition, or if it was an artistic decision.

“I only worked for a day,” he told the Toronto Sun earlier this year.

“They asked me to do it and I really wanted to support the project and support these awesome actresses.

“This is a movie about the women.”

Elliot Gould does reprise his role as Reuben Tishkoff, and another familiar face – who shouldn’t be spoiled due to his relevance to the plot – also pops up.

Earlier this year, 28,800 people signed a petition calling for Damon to be taken out.

This was after an interview emerged of him discussing the Harvey Weinstein scandal, appearing to want more attention paid to famous men who aren’t sexual predators. He had also said on Popcorn With Peter Travers that misconduct should be judged on a “spectrum of behaviour”.

He had told Business Insider: “We’re in this watershed moment, and it’s great, but I think one thing that’s not being talked about is there are a whole s***load of guys — the preponderance of men I’ve worked with — who don’t do this kind of thing and whose lives aren’t going to be affected.”

Minnie Driver was among those who hit back, tweeting: “Gosh it’s so interesting (profoundly unsurprising) how men with all these opinions about women’s differentiation between sexual misconduct, assault and rape reveal themselves to be utterly tone deaf and as a result, systemically part of the problem.”

Damon himself apologised, saying: “I really wish I’d listened a lot more before I weighed in on this.

“Ultimately, what it is for me is that I don’t want to further anybody’s pain with anything that I do or say. And so for that I’m really sorry.”

Ocean’s 8 is out now in the US, and from June 18 in the UK.