As a longtime action movie fan, I can confidently say the Jason Bourne series is truly one of the greats – it kept us on the edge of our seats for over a decade, and there’s even talk of future installments! But if you’re just diving in now, figuring out where to begin can be a little tricky, because the movies don’t follow a simple numerical order.
It can be confusing for newcomers to the Bourne movie series to figure out where to begin. Should they start with the first film, The Bourne Identity, or The Bourne Legacy? The order of the movies matters, particularly within the original three films. And with over a dozen Jason Bourne books available, trying to follow the story through those could make things even more complicated.
The Bourne Identity (2002)
The first three Jason Bourne movies are based on novels by Robert Ludlum, published between 1980 and 1990. The first film, The Bourne Identity, came out in June 2002 and offered a fresh take on the action genre.
Rather than beginning with a typical action scene or a flashback to the hero’s past, The Bourne Identity cleverly combines both. The film opens with a man pulled from the sea, suffering from gunshot wounds and with complete amnesia – he doesn’t know his identity or how he ended up in that situation.
I love how the movie lets you experience the story right alongside Jason Bourne, played brilliantly by Matt Damon. It’s so effective because you’re never ahead of him – you only know as much as he does. Watching him piece together his memories and uncover his past is just captivating, and honestly, it’s one of Damon’s best performances ever.
Jason Bourne discovers he’s a trained spy linked to the CIA, launching a fast-paced, action-packed thriller. The movie was a huge hit with audiences and critics alike.
The Bourne Identity was a huge success, earning over $200 million at the box office and proving Matt Damon’s ability to carry an action film. Critics loved it too, giving it an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Plus, the ending leaves you eager to see the next installment.
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Image by Yailin Chacon
As a huge fan of the first Bourne film, I was so excited to see what came next, and The Bourne Supremacy definitely delivered! It’s a fantastic sequel that picks up the story two years after the first movie. We find Jason Bourne living a quiet life in Goa, India, with Marie Kreutz – the woman he connected with in The Bourne Identity. It was great to see their relationship develop, but of course, trouble is never far behind for Jason Bourne!
Still trying to figure out who he is, Jason Bourne finds himself falsely accused by a powerful Russian businessman, Yuri Gretkov, and his hitman, Kirill. When Kirill pursues Bourne to India and tragically kills Marie instead, Bourne heads to the United States determined to get revenge.
This movie is where Jason Bourne and Nicky Parsons (played by Julia Stiles) really began working together. Nicky, a CIA agent previously involved with the Treadstone program, was brought in to help find Bourne. The film reveals that the real villains are actually corrupt agents within the CIA who were responsible for setting Bourne up.
Like the first movie, The Bourne Supremacy was a critical and commercial success. With a larger budget thanks to the first film’s popularity, it earned over $300 million worldwide. It currently has an 81% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and skillfully paves the way for the next installment in the series.
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
The order of events in the Jason Bourne movies isn’t always straightforward. Although a few years separate the first and second films, the stories in The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum actually happen at the same time. At the end of The Bourne Supremacy, Pamela Landy tells Bourne his birth name is David Webb.
There’s a bit of confusion because The Bourne Ultimatum includes a very similar scene. While it’s never directly said, the final scene in The Bourne Supremacy actually shows events happening about six weeks after the story in The Bourne Ultimatum – it’s a glimpse into the future.
This movie has a few complicated parts, and Matt Damon initially didn’t like the script. However, it still gives fans everything they enjoy about the series – a gripping mystery and exciting chase sequences.
Bourne receives crucial assistance from Pamela Landy and Nicky Parsons, who become valuable allies as he navigates a dangerous predicament. He uncovers all the necessary information during his escape and subsequent flight, resulting in a rewarding resolution to the story.
With a budget exceeding $100 million, The Bourne Ultimatum proved to be a huge financial success, earning over $400 million at the box office. It also received the best reviews of any film in the series, scoring 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it a fitting conclusion to the original trilogy.
The Bourne Legacy (2012)
It’s common for popular movie series to continue even after the main story seems finished. Five years after The Bourne Ultimatum, a new film, The Bourne Legacy, was released. However, many viewers found it quite different from what they expected.
Doug Liman directed the first Bourne film, but Paul Greengrass directed the next two. Because Greengrass and Matt Damon worked so well together, Damon decided not to return for a fourth film when Greengrass wasn’t asked to direct, resulting in a Bourne movie without its star.
Tony Gilroy stepped in to direct, and Jeremy Renner became the lead actor, playing the character Aaron Cross. Notably, much of the film’s story unfolds concurrently with the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, which adds another layer of complexity to the series’ timeline.
I was completely captivated by The Bourne Legacy! It’s incredible how the story picks up with Cross after Bourne threatens to reveal all these secret black ops programs. When one program, Operation Outcome, decides to eliminate everyone involved, Cross barely escapes and finds himself on the run from the people who created it all. It was such a clever way to continue the series, and I was thrilled to even see Pam Landy make an appearance, tying everything together so nicely!
While The Bourne Legacy earned nearly $300 million at the box office, it didn’t perform as well as the earlier Bourne films. Considering its $125 million budget, it was still a profitable movie. However, it was the first installment in the series to receive mixed reactions, with many critics finding it less engaging than previous films.
Jason Bourne (2016)
In the 2010s, many movie franchises tried to connect their stories with crossovers and shared universes. When Matt Damon announced he was coming back to this series, fans hoped he and Jeremy Renner would appear together. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen due to a few unforeseen obstacles.
Paul Greengrass returned to direct the 2016 film Jason Bourne, choosing to center the story solely on Bourne himself. Jeremy Renner’s busy schedule also played a part in this decision. This movie jumps ahead 12 years, taking place after the events of The Bourne Ultimatum.
The story revisits Bourne’s past, revealing more about where he came from. Nicky Parsons reappears to help him identify his father’s murderer, but tragically dies in the process. This leads Bourne on a new investigation, pulling him into a complex network of deceit and hidden agendas.
While the movie largely highlights Matt Damon’s performance, it features a fantastic supporting cast including Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Tommy Lee Jones, and Riz Ahmed. Ultimately, Jason Bourne was a big hit, earning over $400 million at the box office.
While the latest Jason Bourne movies have done well at the box office, critics haven’t been very impressed. These films are the lowest-rated in the series, which unfortunately signals a decline in critical reception.
Future Of The Jason Bourne Franchise
Since the movie Jason Bourne, no new films in the series have been released. There was a brief TV show called Treadstone, but that was the only addition. While several ideas for future projects have been considered, none have actually been made.
The Bourne franchise was updated most recently in August 2025 when NBCUniversal gained the rights to everything except the books. This means any future films or shows will need to be produced by them.
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2026-03-02 22:41