How to Watch the ‘Jason Bourne’ Movies in Order

Follow the Treadstone conspiracy from start to finish

By
Saikat Basu
Saikat Basu
Saikat Basu
Writer
  • University of Pune (India)
Saikat has been a technology writer for 12+ years. His writing has appeared at MakeUseOf, OnlineTechTips, GoSkills, and many others.
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Published on May 10, 2024

In this article, we'll give you the proper viewing order for the Jason Bourne film series. This guide only covers the theatrical releases and doesn't include Treadstone (2019), the spin-off television series, but we do provide some information about it for those who can't get enough of the franchise.

Note:

No single streaming platform has all the movies in its catalog. But you can rent or buy them from the most popular sites like Amazon and YouTube.

How to Watch the 'Jason Bourne' Movies in Chronological Order

Unlike other series, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, The Bourne movies were released in the same order in which they occur. The Bourne Legacy does have some overlap with The Bourne Ultimatum, however.

Start with the first movie in the franchise and work your way through to get the full story.

 Movie  Synopsis  Where to Watch
The Bourne Identity (2002) An amnesiac man, after being rescued at sea, tries to unravel his identity while being pursued by assassins. Apple TV+
The Bourne Supremacy (2004) Jason Bourne continues to seek answers as a rogue agent even as he is framed for a CIA operation. Apple TV+
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) Jason Bourne continues his globe-trotting search while being targeted by a new CIA assassination program. • Apple TV+ • Max
The Bourne Legacy (2012) Aaron Cross, a chemically enhanced agent, fights for survival as his own black ops project is shut down. Rent or buy
Jason Bourne (2016) Jason Bourne resurfaces to discover his father's identity and avenge his death as he takes on the CIA's Cyber Ops Division. Rent or buy

When Does 'The Bourne Legacy' Take Place?

The series' fourth entry, The Bourne Legacy (2012), swaps Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner) in for Jason Bourne. Cross is an original character who doesn't appear in the Ludlum novels that inspired the franchise, and Bourne/Damon only appears in pictures.

Legacy starts about a month and a half after Supremacy and then runs roughly parallel to Ultimatum before showing events that take place after it. Because it takes place both before and after another movie, it's a little hard to put it neatly on the timeline. However, it's best to place it after Ultimatum in your viewing order so that you don't see how that movie ends before you watch it.

When Does 'Treadstone' Take Place?

Treadstone was a standalone TV series on the USA Network that takes place in the same universe as the Bourne films. It takes place in two time periods: 1973 and "present day" (presumably 2019, when the series aired).

This show, which ran for a single season before its cancellation, covers both the origins of the secret government program that created Jason Bourne and its later actions. It isn't necessary to watch it to understand the events of the movies, but you may appreciate the extra context.

You can stream Treadstone on Hulu and Peacock.

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