In October 2024, it was confirmed that Matt Damon will return to The Bourne franchise in the upcoming sixth installment, The Bourne Dilemma (via Production Weekly). Edward Berger will direct the latest franchise installment, with Damon returning for the first time since Jason Bourne in 2016. Of course, Bourne fans still haven’t gotten over Damon ditching the franchise in the fourth entry, The Bourne Legacy, which grew out of the actor’s dissatisfaction with Part 3, The Bourne Ultimatum.
As Damon eagerly returns to his most famous cinematic franchise, it’s worth wondering why he left it in the first place, what drew him back into the fold, and where the franchise goes under the new directorial leadership. Remember, all three of Robert Ludlum’s Bourne source novels have been adapted, leaving a wide-open road map to take the Bourne on a daring new course.
What Is the Bourne Franchise About?
The Bourne franchise is a big-screen action-thriller series based on the fictional character Jason Bourne (Damon), created by Robert Ludlum. The Bourne Identity is the first of three novels, adapted by Doug Liman from a script co-written by Tony Gilroy. Along with Damon, Gilroy would be the main creative constant throughout the series. The first film follows Jason Bourne, an unwitting assassin who cannot remember his past and is forced to find out who he is, who he’s working for, and who within the CIA is out to end his life.
The second adapted novel, The Bourne Supremacy, was directed by Paul Greengrass from a Tony Gilroy screenplay. Damon reprised his role as Jason Bourne in a story that finds him framed by unknown defectors within the CIA and must work to prove his innocence while bringing the culprits down.
The third adapted novel, The Bourne Ultimatum, finds Bourne (Damon) on the run from Operation Blackbriar, a shady CIA branch advancing the motives of Operation Treadstone from the previous film. Meanwhile, Bourne tries to keep his identity from being exposed by a British journalist. Although The Bourne Ultimatum was the highest-rated film in the franchise (85 Metascore, 92% Rotten Tomatoes), the source novels ran their course and Damon decided to bow out gracefully.
Why Matt Damon Left The Bourne Franchise
Despite each franchise entry improving over the last, Matt Damon left the Bourne movies after the release of The Bourne Ultimatum in 2007. The decision was curious considering how popular the franchise had become and how acclaimed Damon’s physically demanding performances were. Yet, despite the success, Damon knew deep down that the dramatic impact of Jason Bourne’s story had been completed and the character’s arc satisfied with proper closure.
Once The Bourne Ultimatum concludes, Bourne remembers his past, pieces together his real identity, and avenges the shady CIA operative who set him up to fail. Between Ludlum’s source novels running their course and Damon feeling there was nowhere to go with the character, he departed to pursue other projects.
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Another key factor contributing to Damon’s departure was director Paul Greengrass’s exit. Without a compelling story to adapt for a fourth franchise entry, Greengrass was not confident in staying aboard the Bourne franchise after directing the second and third installments. According to Entertainment Weekly, Greengrass’s departure and the lack of a character-driven script led Damon to leave.
Once Damon departed, the franchise was overhauled with The Bourne Legacy to introduce a new lead character, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner). Tony Gilroy conceived a new story outside Ludlum’s novels and directed a script he wrote with his brother Dan Gilroy. As one might imagine, lacking Damon, Greengrass, and Ludlum’s sources did not fare well for The Bourne Legacy. The film drew the worst reviews in franchise history and comparatively underperformed financially. As Gilroy remained atop the Bourne franchise, Damon and Greengrass went to make the Iraq War thriller Green Zone together, released in 2010. Damon and Greengrass reunited and reinvigorated the franchise with Jason Bourne six years later.
How Matt Damon Returned to the Franchise
Nine years after starring in The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon returned with Paul Greengrass for the 2016 release of Jason Bourne. Although Damon previously felt the character had run its course, Universal wanted to reunite the successful actor-director duo to continue the franchise. According to The New York Times, Damon and Greengrass spoke about the project, with the latter coming up with exciting new story ideas to push the franchise further.
Jason Bourne finds the title character in hiding, drawn out by corrupt CIA officials hell-bent on eliminating him. The story comes full circle to address Operation Treadstone, which dovetails into the 2019 TV spinoff, Treadstone. Despite Damon and Greengrass returning, Jason Bourne was bashed for lacking the intelligence that defined the first three movies. The tepid reception put the movie series on hold for eight years, with The Bourne Dilemma recently taking shape.
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In October 2024, it was announced that Matt Damon will play Jason Bourne again in the sixth upcoming franchise entry, The Bourne Dilemma. Conclave and All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger will helm the picture, although it is unclear if Tony Gilroy will return to write the script. Plot details are also unknown.
Regardless of believing the franchise had run its course following The Bourne Ultimatum, Matt Damon has had a change of heart and mind and will continue portraying Jason Bourne on the big screen. The next question is how the franchise will fare without Greengrass leading the way and whether Tony Gilroy will retain his authorial voice.