By MICHAEL FLEMING

After Harrison Ford declined to take the role of Jack Ryan for a third time, it seemed that the franchise might come to a halt, but Paramount Pictures is working quickly toward a deal with Ben Affleck to replace him.

Affleck would take over the role of the CIA analyst in “The Sum of All Fears,” the Tom Clancy bestseller that was adapted by Akiva Goldsman and rewritten by Paul Attanasio specifically for Ford. The drama pits Ryan against terrorists who plan to nuke the Super Bowl in hopes of starting a war against Russia.

Source said everything is contingent on Affleck making a deal, but the script will likely be reworked. It’s unclear whether Philip Noyce will return. The helmer directed Ford in “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger” and was ready to do his third film with Ford this fall.

Since Ford is the most successful movie franchise star of this era, his absence was a blow to the studio. Still, Par and producer Mace Neufeld’s courtship of Affleck makes some sense, since Ford didn’t originate the Ryan role.

Alec Baldwin starred in “The Hunt for Red October,” but declined to star in the first sequel, preferring to star in “A Streetcar Named Desire” on Broadway.

When Ford decided not to go forward with “Sum of All Fears,” Paramount was on the hook for millions of dollars in book rights and scripting fees — wasted money if the project were abandoned. Affleck’s age and youthful draw makes it possible to draw a new audience to the series, which can go on for numerous installments if audiences buy him in the part. Affleck’s repped by CAA.

Ben Affleck is likely to become the third actor to play CIA analyst Jack Ryan in a movie, replacing Harrison Ford in Paramount’s production of Tom Clancy’s bestseller The Sum of All Fears, Daily Variety reported today (Tuesday). The role of Ryan was originally played by Alec Baldwin in The Hunt for Red October. Ford had opted out of the latest sequel.