Summary
- Bourne 6 needs to adapt to modern action aesthetics influenced by films like John Wick.
- Matt Damon's return as Jason Bourne is crucial for the franchise's future success.
- A balance of realism and larger action sequences will maintain the unique edge of Bourne 6.
The Jeremy Renner-led The Bourne Legacy.) Eight years since the release of Jason Bourne, talk over an sixth film in the series suggests Matt Damon is gearing up for another adventure.
The action genre has evolved since audiences last saw Bourne, however. Superheroes, The Fast & The Furious, and the John Wick films have all radically altered the cinematic landscape, making a character like Jason Bourne feel like he belongs to a different era of movie-making. However, this might actually be a secret strength of Bourne 6. If the Bourne 6 brings back Matt Damon can mine that disconnect for the story and learn lessons from one of modern cinema's biggest franchises, then Bourne 6 could help Matt Damon claim the title of film's biggest action star.
Bourne 6 Must Break The Action Franchise's Terrible 12-Year Streak
Bourne 6 is officially in development at Universal Pictures, and the installment in the franchise must avoid one of its recent problems.
Bourne 6 Needs To Learn From John Wick To Be A Great Modern Action Movie
The Bourne 6 needs to learn from the success of the John Wick franchise, which could be the key to keeping the espionage franchise relevant. The original Bourne trilogy cemented Matt Damon as a bankable action star. However, the film's approach to action feels out of step with modern versions of similar ideas. The Bourne Identity utilized a kinetic and frantic hand-held style for combat. This allowed the deaths of the Bourne series to feel more grounded, with fight scenes carrying a realistic crunch and brutality. Imitators used the same method, leading to diminishing returns.
Action movies in the modern era have shifted to highly choreographed and sweeping sequences, like the ones seen in John Wick. A prospective Bourne 6 should adapt its fight scenes to fit closer into the modern aesthetic. Matt Damon is also twenty years older than when audiences first met his version of Bourne. Bourne 6 reflecting on Bourne's age would be an interesting way to portray the character. Bringing Bourne into the modern day could be a deceptively tricky proposition, but leaning into the idea that he's a man out of his time could be an ideal approach for a new film.
Jason Bourne 6 Is Facing The Same Problem The Bond Franchise Faced 21 Years Ago
The Jason Bourne 6 will decide the future of the spy franchise, in the same way the Bond movies faced a similar issue over 20 years ago.
Matt Damon Is The Key To Bourne Reclaiming Its Action Franchise Crown
Similar to how Keanu Reeves was the central engine that fueled John Wick's success, Matt Damon's Jason Bourne will be the key element for the Bourne films' future. If Damon can match the kind of action set-pieces that Keanu was able to utilize in the John Wick films, then Bourne can retake the action franchise crown. There may even be a way to meld the realistic edges of the Bourne movies with the larger action set-pieces of John Wick. One of the more absurd elements of the John Wick movies is the amount of punishment Wick suffers.
Wick brushes off fatal wound after fatal wound, up until the end of John Wick: Chapter 4. The Bourne movies were more rooted in realistic consequences than other action franchises, giving their action a greater sense of stakes. Bourne 6 should retain that element for Matt Damon's return, even if it pushes Bourne through larger battle sequences. Retaining the franchise's trademark realistic edges could keep the action of Bourne 6 from feeling too similar to other modern films, while still allowing it to move beyond the shaky cam aesthetic of past films. This way, Bourne 6 can feel fresh while retaining its unique edge.
- Created by
- Robert Ludlum
- First Film
- The Bourne Identity
- Cast
- Jeremy Renner, Rachel Weisz
- TV Show(s)
- Treadstone
- Character(s)
- Jason Bourne, Marie Helena Kreutz, Nicolette Parsons, Ward Abbott, Nykwanna Wombosi, Aaron Cross, Dr. Marta Shearing
The Bourne Franchise is an action-thriller series conceived initially by Robert Ludlum in the Bourne novel series. The film adaptations began with The Bourne Identity in 2002 with Matt Damon starring as Jason Bourne, a man who, after regaining his memories, learns that he was a top CIA assassin, with his former employer trying to kill him to tie up loose ends. The mantle eventually was briefly handed over to a new protagonist, Aaron Cross, portrayed by Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy. A television show titled Treadstone was created to tell the story of the titular agency behind the program but was canceled after one season.
