So, you’re sitting there with the remote, scrolling through a streaming app, and you see Matt Damon looking intensely at a computer screen. Or maybe he’s punching someone with a rolled-up magazine. It hits you: wait, how many Jason Bourne movies are there actually? It’s a trickier question than it sounds because Hollywood loves a good spin-off, and the "Bourne-verse" has more layers than a CIA cover story.
If we’re talking strictly about the big-screen, theatrical releases that everyone knows, there are five movies. But that's just the surface level. If you're a completionist who wants the full picture—including the weird 80s TV movie, the Jeremy Renner side-quest, and the short-lived prequel series—the number starts to climb. Honestly, most fans just stick to the "Matt Damon entries," but you've got a lot more to chew on if you’re willing to look.
The Core Five: The Movies Most People Know
When someone asks how many Jason Bourne movies are there, they’re usually thinking of the main franchise that started in 2002. This series redefined action movies. Before Bourne, everything was slow-motion explosions and cheese. After Bourne, everything became "shaky cam" and gritty realism.
- The Bourne Identity (2002): The one where Matt Damon is pulled out of the ocean with bullets in his back and no memory. It set the tone for everything.
- The Bourne Supremacy (2004): Paul Greengrass takes over as director. This is where the franchise’s signature frantic editing style really took hold.
- The Bourne Ultimatum (2007): For many, this is the peak. It wraps up the initial mystery of who Jason Bourne (or David Webb) actually is.
- The Bourne Legacy (2012): This is the "odd one out." Matt Damon isn't in it. Instead, we follow Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross. It’s set during the same timeframe as Ultimatum but focuses on a different secret program called Outcome.
- Jason Bourne (2016): Damon finally came back. It’s set years later and deals with the modern world of surveillance and privacy.
The transition from The Bourne Ultimatum to The Bourne Legacy was a weird time for the fans. Universal Pictures wanted to keep the money rolling in, but Damon and Greengrass weren't ready to return. So, they basically made a movie about a guy who knows about Jason Bourne, but isn't him. It’s sorta like watching a movie about a guy who works at the same office as Batman.
The "Forgotten" History: 1988 and Beyond
Before Matt Damon ever stepped into the role, there was a completely different adaptation. In 1988, Richard Chamberlain played the amnesiac assassin in a TV movie also titled The Bourne Identity. It’s much closer to the original Robert Ludlum novel—which, believe it or not, involves a real-life terrorist named Carlos the Jackal.
If you watch it today, it feels like a total time capsule. No "super-agent" parkour or high-tech hacking. Just a lot of 80s hair and slower-paced detective work. While it’s technically a "Bourne movie," it’s not part of the Matt Damon canon.
Then you’ve got Treadstone, the 2019 TV series. It only lasted one season on the USA Network. It was meant to be a prequel/spin-off that explained the origins of the brainwashing program. It's technically "canonical" to the movies, but honestly, it didn't leave much of a mark. Most people have already forgotten it existed.
Why the Count is About to Change Again
As of early 2026, the franchise is in a bit of a "reboot" phase. For a while, there was a lot of chatter about Universal losing the rights, but late in 2025, NBCUniversal secured the non-publishing rights to Robert Ludlum’s work in perpetuity. That’s a fancy way of saying they own the character forever now.
What does that mean for the movie count? It means a sixth movie is officially in development. Reports have floated titles like The Bourne Dilemma, and Edward Berger (the guy who did All Quiet on the Western Front) has been linked to direct. There’s a lot of "will he or won't he" regarding Matt Damon. He’s in his 50s now, and while he’s still in great shape, playing a guy who gets into brutal hand-to-hand fights every ten minutes is a lot of work.
How to Watch Them Without Getting Confused
If you want to watch the films to understand the story, don't overthink it. Just watch them in the order they were released.
💡 You might also like: Let It All Work Out: Why Lil Wayne Finally Told the Truth
- Identity (Start here)
- Supremacy (The stakes go up)
- Ultimatum (The big finale... sort of)
- Legacy (The side story)
- Jason Bourne (The comeback)
You can skip the 1988 TV movie and the Treadstone show unless you’re a die-hard fan. They don't really change the experience of the main five films.
The biggest misconception is that The Bourne Legacy is a reboot. It’s not. It happens simultaneously with the third movie. If you look closely in Legacy, you’ll even see photos of Matt Damon’s Bourne on computer screens. It’s all connected, just from a different perspective.
What to Look for Next
The Bourne franchise is basically the "blue-collar" version of James Bond. No gadgets, no martinis, just a lot of pens used as weapons. If you’re caught up on all five, keep an eye out for news on the Edward Berger project. It’s looking like they might try to pass the torch to a younger actor while keeping Damon as a mentor figure, or they might just go for a full-blown "soft reboot."
Actionable Insights for Your Next Rewatch:
- Spot the "Bourne" Camera: Notice how the camera gets shakier as the franchise progresses. It was a stylistic choice to make you feel as disoriented as Bourne is.
- Listen to the Score: John Powell’s music, especially the "Extreme Ways" track by Moby at the end of every film, is the franchise’s heartbeat.
- The "Legacy" Connection: If you rewatch The Bourne Ultimatum and then immediately watch The Bourne Legacy, you’ll see how the timeline overlaps during the New York City scenes. It’s actually pretty clever.
Now that you know exactly how many Jason Bourne movies are there, you can stop scrolling and actually start watching. Whether you prefer the original trilogy or the later expansions, it remains one of the most influential sagas in modern cinema.