Midway through the film, in a house in Germany, Bourne engages in a fight to the death, using kitchen utensils, with another hitman.

The hitman in India, an assassin named Kirill, is played by Wellington-born Karl Urban, and Marton Csokas, who hails from Invercargill, plays the German killer, Jarda.

It begs the question, why does Hollywood think New Zealanders make great assassins?

"There must be something in the water down there," laughs Brit Paul Greengrass, the film's director.

There must be something in the water down there," laughs Brit Paul Greengrass, the film's director.

"It's the vodka, not the water," Csokas chuckles, referring to the world-acclaimed 42 Below brew. "In New Zealand they're making vodka these days. Or maybe it's too much time alone, the distance thing, being isolated."

Csokas and Urban, both striking men with rugged, dark features, have emerged as two of Hollywood's favourite bad guys.

I enjoy playing the villain," Csokas says. "Some of the best roles are the bad guys. It depends on the film how I play them. In The Bourne Supremacy I tried to play him as a friend to Matt Damon's character so I tried to play that aspect of sympathy and like-mindedness.

"Something like XXX was more black and white, but I still try to bring different dimensions."

The fight scene in Germany between Csokas and Damon resembled a pub fight, not the typical choreographed Hollywood joust. Greengrass did not want stuntmen involved, so it was down to just Damon and Csokas, with the scene taking two weeks to prepare and five days to shoot.

"It was exciting at the beginning and exhausting at the end," Csokas says.

At a recent press conference in the US, Damon told journalists how he ended up with a fat lip and an injured back during the tussle with the much taller Csokas, who at 1.91m wouldn't look out of place at the back of an All Black lineout.

"He got the best of me," the rather stout Damon, just 1.77m, conceded. "I got whacked in the face once."

Csokas chuckles about this as well.

"He hit me plenty of times, by the way," Csokas laughs. "But Matt's a warrior. He did put his back out, went away, got an injection and then came back that afternoon and got straight back into it.

"It was a tough scene to shoot, but we had a lot of fun. We fooled around, which created a relaxed environment."

There is a danger in Hollywood of being typecast after a string of similar roles, but Csokas and Urban aren't worried the studios will sign them up only as villains.

"I've had a run of bad guys, but of late I played some virtuous people as well," Csokas says.

"In Aeon Flux I play the romantic lead, so it won't be long until I'll be able to talk about good guys."

Greengrass adds Csokas' look and personality fit perfectly for the German killer-for-hire role of Jarda.

"Marton is quite brooding and intense and that shows."