The Bourne movies captivated audiences with their mix of spy drama, political intrigue, and high-stakes action. The series, led by Matt Damon in all but one movie, earned $1.6 billion USD at the worldwide box office, placing among cinema's most successful character-driven action franchises.
For those looking to watch (or rewatch) the series of action movies, we’ve created this guide to help you navigate the story so far. Scroll down to find out how to watch the Bourne movies in order, by narrative chronologically or release date.
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How Many Bourne Are There?
There are a total of five Bourne movies, which were released between 2002 and 2016. There’s also a 2019 TV series, Treadstone, that connects to the films.
This chronology doesn’t include the 1988 TV movie The Bourne Identity. That movie was adapted from the same novel series as the Damon-led Bourne franchise but doesn’t connect to the films.
Bourne Movies in Chronological Order
These blurbs contain mild spoilers, including characters, settings, and broad plot points.
1. The Bourne Identity (2002)
The first Bourne movie is an assassination-filled action-thriller with a plot that twists and turns through time and across borders. An amnesiac man is pulled from the Mediterranean Sea and the world is introduced to Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne.
Bourne uncovers details of his past while evading assassination attempts from multiple angles, eventually recruiting the help of Marie Kreutz (Franka Potente). Bourne and Marie continue to evade death and arrest, as Jason learns about his involvement with the CIA black ops program Treadstone and his role in the failed assassination attempt of an African dictator.
Other recurring characters introduced in The Bourne Identity include Brian Cox as CIA section chief Ward Abbott and Julia Stiles as Treadstone operative Nicky Parsons.
Read IGN’s The Bourne Identity review.
2. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
The Bourne Supremacy weaves another narrative web of assassination attempts and political intrigue. This time around the action centers on the death of a Russian politician and a $20 million theft. Jason Bourne’s life is (once again) threatened as his past (once again) catches up with him, though his amnesia continues to prevent him from fully understanding why.
Bourne is framed for another, albeit related, theft and murder by the Russian agent Kirill (Keith Urban). As he evades Kirill and the CIA, Bourne uncovers his involvement with the aforementioned political assassination and discovers the treachery behind the act. Following a deadly resolution, he discovers his real identity: David Webb.
Read IGN’s The Bourne Supremacy review.
3. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
Three years later, Jason Bourne was back, once again evading law enforcement and CIA operatives while uncovering information about his past, specifically his involvement with the now-defunct Operation Treadstone.
Simon Ross, an English journalist played by Paddy Considine (House of the Dragon), obtains information about Operation Blackbriar, Treadstone’s successor program, and so the CIA orders him to be captured. Bourne helps Ross evade the CIA for a time, but the agency ultimately has its way. The pressure to cover up illegal activity within the CIA mounts, as does its pursuit of Bourne. Our hero meets the scientist behind Operation Treadstone and remembers a key detail about his early days with the group. With the help of CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy, Bourne blows the doors off of Blackbriar, exposing the operation and its operatives to the press. Bourne survives (another) near-death experience and lives to make another movie.
Read IGN’s The Bourne Ultimatum review.
4. The Bourne Legacy (2012)
Much of The Bourne Legacy runs concurrently with the events of Bourne Ultimatum, though it ultimately progresses the narrative a bit further, as Landy and the antagonistic Noah Vosen testify in front of Congress regarding the Blackbriar material leaked at the end of Ultimatum.
Despite bearing the Bourne name, The Bourne Legacy is a movie without Jason Bourne. Legacy instead stars Jeremy Renner as Operation Outcome agent Aaron Cross. Like Treadstone, Outcome was a secret CIA program. With Treadstone and Blackbriar leaked, the CIA takes no chances; a vulnerability in Outcome’s secrecy is revealed, and Colonel Eric Byer (Edward Norton) orders all associated individuals to be killed.
Cross then embarks on a cross-country trip, teaming up with Operation Outcome doctor Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) to stay alive. The adventure takes the duo to the Philippines, where the action-packed final confrontation takes place. The Bourne Legacy is (so far) the beginning and end of Cross's story in the film franchise.
Read IGN’s The Bourne Legacy review.
5. Jason Bourne (2016)
Matt Damon returns for the series’ self-titled fifth movie, set 12 years after The Bourne Ultimatum. Bourne, memory intact, earns his way by streetfighting in Greece before Nicky Parsons unintentionally puts the CIA, now led by Robert Dewey (Tommy Lee Jones), back on his trail. What follows is another convolution of death and deceit.
Bourne learns more about his past, notably his father’s fatal role in Treadstone and how that led to his own recruitment. Hunted by the CIA, he's assisted by the agency’s head of cybersecurity, Heather Lee (Alicia Vikander), who believes Bourne can be convinced to rejoin the agency rather than be killed. Bourne, one step ahead of Lee and the CIA, survives and is able to go off the grid yet again.
Read IGN’s Jason Bourne review.
6. Treadstone (2019 - TV Series)
The most recent piece of Bourne content is the USA Network series Treadstone, which ran for one season in 2019. It’s not essential viewing, though its 1973-set storyline offers an intriguing look at the origins of Operation Treadstone.
The narrative jumps between the founding of Treadstone in 1973 and the awakening of sleeper agents in the present day. There aren’t a ton of noteworthy revelations relevant to the ongoing Bourne narrative and the story concludes by setting up a second season that never came to be.
How to Watch the Bourne Movies By Release Date
- The Bourne Identity (2002)
- The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
- The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)
- The Bourne Legacy (2012)
- Jason Bourne (2016)
- Treadstone (2019 – TV series)
Future Bourne Movies
There’s been no official announcement regarding another Bourne movie. In 2019, producer Ben Smith told CinemaBlend they were “definitely working on another film." Then, in 2020, producer Frank Marshall said the creative team was "looking” to find a new story and filmmaker for another Bourne film. However, no official announcement have followed in the years since.
Series fans may be interested in the upcoming film The Instigators. While unrelated to Bourne, The Instigators is an action-thriller that reunites star Matt Damon with The Bourne Identity director Doug Liman.
Looking to go on a different chronological binge journey?
- The Transformers Movies in Order
- The Indiana Jones Movies in Order
- The Resident Evil Movies in Order
- The Underworld Movies in Order
Jordan covers games, shows, and movies as a freelance writer for IGN.