Jason Bourne 6 Is Facing The Same Problem The Bond Franchise Faced 21 Years Ago

Jason Bourne 6 is facing an issue the James Bond franchise once confronted back in 2002. The Bourne Identity suffered through a famously troubled production, which included multiple rounds of reshoots and release delays. The idea that Good Will Hunting’s Matt Damon could be seen as a convincing action star was another mark against it, but of course, all the production woes were worth it. The film was an enormous success and received great reviews too. It also launched the Jason Bourne movie franchise, with a sixth entry currently in development.

Bourne is often seen as the gritty alternative to the James Bond franchise, and whereas 007 usually falls back on his gadgets or fancy cars, his rival tends to fight with pens or rolled-up magazines. Unlike Bond, Matt Damon is the only actor to play Bourne on the big screen and thus has a certain amount of creative control. Universal would no doubt be happy to pump out a new installment every few years, but Damon refuses to sign on unless there’s a great story involved.

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Jason Bourne 6 Brings The Series To The Same Crossroads The James Bond Movies Once Faced

Jason Bourne is no longer the hip alternative to 007

The Bourne Identity was a breath of fresh air for the spy movie genre, thanks to its grounded tone, absorbing story and inventive action. The film was released in 2002, the same year as the 20th Bond adventure Die Another Day. While Pierce Brosnan’s final outing was produced to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the series, it’s often considered the worst in the franchise. There are multiple reasons for this; the cartoonish tone, the terrible CGI, the cringeworthy gags and so on.

Die Another Day underlined how out of touch and passé the Bond series had become, and that to save itself, a dramatic reinvention was needed. Ironically, this came in the form of Casino Royale modeling itself on the Bourne series, adopting a similar real-world tone that ditched the gadgets and space lasers in exchange for a good, old-fashioned spy yarn. Bourne was so important to the genre that pretty much every spy movie or show that followed copied it; this eventually led to the series itself feeling wrung dry.

2002 was a key turning point for Bond, and assuming Jason Bourne 6 moves ahead, the series could find itself in a similar position. The style it once pioneered and excelled at has been thoroughly picked clean, and it’s difficult to know where audiences currently stand with the Bourne films. Another Bourne would need to bring something fresh, and it can’t go silly or outlandish like the Bond saga has the license to do.

The Last Jason Bourne Movie Proved The Series Needed Reinvention

Jason Bourne wasn’t the revival Universal hoped for

The most recent outing was 2016’s Jason Bourne, where the title character was once more reluctantly drawn into a conspiracy that also involved uncovering another piece of his dark past. The film tried to reinvent the character for a post-WikiLeaks world, but the energy wasn’t quite there. Damon reunited with director Paul Greengrass for the sequel, which gathered a great ensemble cast, but everything about the film felt familiar. The backstory involving Bourne’s father added little, the action was too hectic and it ultimately felt like a chapter that didn’t need to be added.

Jason Bourne was a hit, but reviews were mixed and it failed to top Damon’s previous outing The Bourne Ultimatum. There was little excitement for another entry after the film was released too, with even Damon stating in 2017 (via Toronto Sun) that audiences “might be done” with the character. Of course, the same has been said of James Bond and other long-running franchises in the past which have successfully reinvigorated themselves. Bourne is a character accustomed to reinventing himself too, but the fifth entry made it clear the next film can’t just be more of the same.

Will Jason Bourne 6 Actually Happen?

Matt Damon has yet to sign on

In November 2023, Deadline reported another Bourne film was in development, with Edward Berger (All Quiet on the Western Front) in talks to direct. It should be noted Damon isn’t currently signed to Jason Bourne 6 and is waiting to be presented with a script. One of Damon’s rules for another Bourne was that Greengrass return too, but it appears the latter won’t be involved with the sixth movie; that said, he might have given Damon his blessing to continue without him.

Damon has appeared in multiple franchises – including the Ocean’s movies – but he always appears to prefer original projects to sequels. After the third movie, it sounded like he was ready to leave Bourne alone for good, feeling the character’s arc was complete. It will likely take a pretty spectacular story or approach to convince Damon the world needs Jason Bourne 6, so hopefully, Berger and the producers have something special planned. Otherwise, the next installment might feature a new actor as the amnesiac spy instead.