Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne is one of modern action cinema’s defining spy characters, but watching his story in order comes with one complication: The Bourne Legacy follows a different operative whose story overlaps with events in the original trilogy. The franchise also expanded to television with Treadstone, a series about the covert program that trained Bourne and other assassins.There are five theatrical Bourne movies so far, beginning with The Bourne Identity and continuing through Jason Bourne. And the series may not be finished: Damon has been discussing another installment with director Edward Berger, though the story is still being developed. Here’s what to know.Related: The 80+ Best Action Movies of All Time
How To Watch the Bourne Movies in Chronological Order
For the story-based viewing order, watch the five movies in the order they were released. The only complication is The Bourne Legacy, which runs alongside part of The Bourne Ultimatum rather than taking place entirely after it.
The Bourne Identity (2002) The Bourne Supremacy (2004) The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) The Bourne Legacy (2012) Jason Bourne (2016)Simply put, the chronological order and the release order are the same.Related: Meet Luciana Barroso, the Bartender Who Stole Matt Damon’s Heart
1. The Bourne Identity (2002)
Matt Damon in “The Bourne Identity”Universal Pictures
The movie that started it all introduces a man pulled from the Mediterranean Sea with bullet wounds and no memory of who he is. As he discovers extraordinary fighting skills and instincts, he realizes that people are hunting him. With help from Marie (Franka Potente), a woman he hires to drive him across Europe, he tries to piece together his identity while evading assassins and uncovering a covert CIA operation.
Directed by Doug Liman, The Bourne Identity established the franchise’s grounded approach to espionage, using close-quarters combat, practical stunts and a hero who relies on observation and improvisation as much as brute force. Critics praised the film’s mix of suspense and character-driven action.
Where it fits in the timeline: This is the starting point for Jason Bourne’s story. He has no reliable memory of his past and gradually discovers his connection to the CIA’s Operation Treadstone.
What novel is it based on? The movie is loosely adapted from Robert Ludlum‘s 1980 novel The Bourne Identity. The film retains the central premise of an amnesiac operative on the run but changes major characters and plot elements.Related: The 58 Best Spy Movies Ever
2. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Matt Damon and Julia Stiles in “The Bourne Supremacy”Universal Pictures
Bourne is living quietly in India when an intelligence operation goes wrong and he is framed for a CIA-related theft. A Russian assassin begins pursuing him, forcing Bourne back into a life he hoped to leave behind. Meanwhile, CIA deputy director Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) investigates the incident, creating another threat as Bourne tries to determine who is responsible.
Paul Greengrass took over directing duties for the sequel, bringing a more urgent, handheld style to the chase sequences and confrontations. The result is a tense follow-up that expands the conspiracy while making Bourne’s personal stakes more immediate.
Where it fits in the timeline: The story takes place roughly two years after The Bourne Identity. Bourne is still trying to escape his former life, but the conspiracy pulls him back into the intelligence world.
What novel is it based on? It shares its title with Ludlum’s 1986 novel The Bourne Supremacy, but the film changes the story substantially. The book centers on a different plot involving an impostor using Bourne’s identity, while the movie follows its own conspiracy involving CIA operations and Russian agents.Related: We Ranked the 103 Best Thrillers of All Time
3. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Matt Damon in “The Bourne Ultimatum”Universal Pictures
The third film follows Bourne as he pursues the people behind the covert programs that shaped his life. A journalist’s investigation into a secret CIA initiative gives Bourne a new lead, sending him across Europe, North Africa and the United States. As he tries to uncover the truth, CIA officials work to stop him from exposing their operations.
Greengrass returned for a film built around surveillance, relentless pursuit and tightly staged action. The rapid editing and restless camera work can be disorienting, but they reinforce the feeling that Bourne is constantly being watched and has little time to think.
Where it fits in the timeline: The Bourne Ultimatum follows the events of The Bourne Supremacy and brings the original trilogy’s central search for Bourne’s identity closer to a resolution. The events also set up the intelligence community’s response explored in The Bourne Legacy.
What novel is it based on? The movie takes its title from Ludlum’s 1990 novel The Bourne Ultimatum, but the plots are substantially different. The film focuses on Bourne’s investigation into Treadstone and its successor program, Blackbriar, rather than directly adapting the novel’s storyline.Related: We Ranked All 6 Jack Ryan Movies
4. The Bourne Legacy (2012)
Jeremy Renner in “The Bourne Legacy”Universal Pictures
For the first Bourne film without Matt Damon in the lead, the franchise shifts to Aaron Cross, played by Jeremy Renner. Cross is an operative in a separate government program that uses medication to enhance its agents’ physical and mental abilities. When the intelligence community begins eliminating evidence of its secret programs, Cross becomes a target and must flee with Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), a scientist who understands the drugs keeping him alive.
Director Tony Gilroy expands the series beyond Bourne himself, exploring how many covert programs operate beneath the same intelligence apparatus. Weisz brings a strong human presence to the story, while Renner makes Cross a capable action lead. Critics were divided on the film’s longer runtime and more complicated mythology, but many acknowledged its effective action and the potential of a new protagonist.
Where it fits in the timeline: This is the franchise’s major detour. The Bourne Legacy begins during the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, as the CIA reacts to the exposure of Blackbriar. Its story then follows Cross as he tries to survive the fallout. It is best watched after Ultimatum so the references to Bourne’s actions make sense.
What novel is it based on? Despite sharing a title with The Bourne Legacy, a novel by Eric Van Lustbader, the film is not a direct adaptation of that book. Gilroy developed an original story about a new operative in the same fictional world, expanding on the consequences of the previous films.Related: We Ranked the 104 Best Science Fiction Movies of All Time
5. Jason Bourne (2016)
Matt Damon in “Jason Bourne”Universal Pictures
Nearly a decade after The Bourne Ultimatum, Bourne has been living outside the intelligence world. When former operative Nicky Parsons (Julia Stiles) uncovers new information about CIA programs, she brings him back into the conflict. Bourne starts investigating his family’s connection to his past while CIA director Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones) sends agents after him and a rising cyber specialist, Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander), tries to locate him.
Damon and Greengrass reunite here for a sequel that returns to the franchise’s familiar combination of surveillance, international pursuit and close-range action. The film delivers the tense chases fans expect, though critics argued that its plot repeats elements of the earlier trilogy rather than finding a compelling new direction.
Where it fits in the timeline: Jason Bourne takes place 12 years after the original trilogy, with Bourne pulled back into the intelligence world after spending time in hiding. The film continues his personal story rather than following Aaron Cross from The Bourne Legacy.
What novel is it based on? The film is not a direct adaptation of a Ludlum novel. It uses the character and fictional world created by Ludlum but follows an original screenplay developed by Greengrass and Christopher Rouse.Related: We Ranked All 8 Mission: Impossible Movies
What Is the Treadstone TV Show?
The Bourne franchise expanded to television with Treadstone, a 2019 series that explores the covert program responsible for creating agents like Jason Bourne. Rather than following Bourne directly, the show centers on other operatives whose lives are shaped by the program, with storylines connecting its early history to events in the present day.
The series stars Jeremy Irvine, Brian J. Smith and Han Hyo-joo. It ran for one season of 10 episodes before being canceled. Treadstone is an optional addition for viewers interested in the franchise’s wider mythology, but it isn’t necessary to follow the five theatrical films.
Will There Be a New Jason Bourne Movie?
A new Jason Bourne movie is in development, with Damon discussing the project with director Edward Berger, known for All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) and Conclave (2024). During a July 2026 interview on The Rich Eisen Show, Damon said they were still working to settle on a story and that he wanted the next film to feel like the original three.
What Is Considered the Best Bourne Film?
The Bourne Ultimatum generally comes out on top in terms of critical reception and audience ratings. While all three films in the original trilogy scored high with both groups, Ultimatum stands proudest with a 92 percent critics’ score and 91 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
Related: We Ranked the 55 Best Superhero Movies of All Time
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