Summary

• Tony Gilroy's The Bourne Legacy introduced a new franchise protagonist with Aaron Cross, played by Jeremy Renner.
• Director Justin Lin reveals that he was a Bourne Legacy sequel with Renner was in development, but Matt Damon's decision to reunite with Paul Greengrass for 2016's Jason Bourne essentially killed the project.
• Although The Bourne Legacy's reviews were mixed, the film introduces new elements and characters that would have been interesting to explore in a sequel.

The Bourne Legacy sequel never got made, and attached director Justin Lin revealed why the Jeremy Renner project didn't work out. Matt Damon first breathed life into author Robert Ludlum's titular character in 2002's The Bourne Legacy, with two direct sequels following in 2004 and 2007. Before Damon returned once more in 2016's Jason Bourne, The Bourne Legacy in 2012 attempted to take the franchise in a new direction, introducing Renner's new protagonist, Aaron Cross.

The Bourne Legacy sought to expand the universe of these movies beyond just the central character by introducing another operative who has also been genetically enhanced as part of a black ops conspiracy. When Jason Bourne's actions shine a light on the operation, Cross finds himself on the run and looking for answers. Despite Renner's franchise success and a ing cast that included Rachel Weisz, Oscar Isaac, and Edward Norton, The Bourne Legacy was seen as a step down from the original trilogy and ultimately did not fulfill the plans of taking the series in a new direction.

The Bourne Legacy Sequel Was Abandoned In Favor Of Matt Damon's Return

Justin Lin Confirms The Sequel Was Moving Forward

During an interview on the stalled Bourne Legacy sequel. According to the director, some promising progress had been made on the follow-up, but the film ultimately came apart after the decision was made to focus efforts back on Damon's character. Lin said:

“Yep, ‘Bourne’ was one of them. It was after I left for ‘Fast 6’ and [Universal’s] Donna Langley reached out and said, ‘What do you think about ‘Bourne’ and I was like, ‘Oh man!’ and like, Renner’s amazing. And to this day, I still kinda miss what we were working on.

“I think Matt [Damon] was done [with the franchise] at that point. Again, I had a great time working on the script, and getting to know Jeremy Renner was such a perk; he’s such a great guy, a great actor, but also a great human being.

“I think in the middle of doing that], Matt [Damon] and [Paul] Greengrass decided to come back, which is totally cool; that’s their franchise, and I totally understand. But I think the time that I had on it, I think back fondly on it, and there’s actually some stuff in there that I hope to be able to bring to life in other projects cause it was such a great time working with Andrew Baldwin on the script and Jeremy, just hanging out and talking about his character was great.”

Did The Bourne Legacy Deserve A Sequel?

The Jeremy Renner Movie's Mixed Response Suggests It Wasn't The Right Direction

Generally speaking, the first three installments in the Bourne franchise are considered the best, with director Tony Gilroy's Bourne Legacy and Damon's 2016 return not quite living up to these standards. Gilroy, who had served as co-writer on the three previous films, took on directing duties for Renner's franchise debut, and the film marked a departure from Greengrass' more kinetic style featured in The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum.

The 2012 reboot earned somewhat mixed reviews from critics, but performed decently well at the box office, raking in over $276 million on a budget of $125 million. While this falls short of its two predecessors (though it does beat The Bourne Identity's $214 million haul), it suggests that there may have been audience interest in seeing Cross's story continue in a sequel.

In hindsight, with Jason Bourne's reviews highlighting a loss of franchise magic despite Damon and Greengass' returns, it may have been more interesting to continue Cross' story instead. Renner's performance in The Bourne Legacy was strong, and new characters played by Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton also feel ripe for further exploration. As does the introduction of "chems," which are essentially super soldier pills. Unfortunately, however, it doesn't look like this sequel will be happening anytime soon.

Going Back To Matt Damon Didn't Save The Franchise

Jason Bourne Only Showed More Trouble For The Franchise

Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass had originally walked away from the franchise, feeling fulfilled with the three well-received movies they had made. However, they both eventually felt there was more that could be said with the character, which led to Jason Bourne. In many ways, it is not surprising that the studio decided to back Damon's return to a character that had proven a hit-maker rather than continue with the mixed result of Renner's version.

Of course, those involved in Jason Bourne likely didn't expect that Damon's fourth Bourne movie would receive as mixed of a reaction as The Bourne Legacy. Rather than being a return to form, Jason Bourne only further confused the franchise and left uncertainty in how to proceed. While there is talk of a sixth Bourne movie with Matt Damon, Jason Bourne and The Bourne Legacy have made the future of this franchise hard to figure out.

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