Summary

• The recently announced sixth Jason Bourne movie has the opportunity to tie up loose ends and reveal the fate of Pamela Landy, Bourne's old ally from the second and third movies.
• The fourth movie, The Bourne Legacy, left Landy's fate unknown, so the sixth movie can address this unresolved plot.
• While a sixth Bourne is in development, there is uncertainty whether Matt Damon will return, as he has certain conditions for g on and may not be interested in reprising the role.

There's one Bourne Legacy character the recently announced sixth Jason Bourne movie needs to revisit - and it's not Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross. The Bourne Identity was a shot in the arm for spy movies when it debuted in 2002, as the genre had grown stagnant. Bourne was an action hero for a new era, and the movies stripped away the gadgets and gimmicks to tell lean, propulsive stories. By the time the third movie arrived, it felt like the character's journey was complete. He'd learn who he was and come to with his past, in addition to gaining revenge on the people who'd "created" him.

Unlike the James Bond saga where another entry is always guaranteed, the Jason Bourne movies are uniquely tied to Matt Damon. Outside of Richard Chamberlain playing the role in a somewhat forgotten TV movie, no other actors have played the character. Universe attempted a soft reboot with 2012's The Bourne Legacy, which introduced Renner as Aaron Cross, another highly-trained agent on the run from his former bosses. The spinoff was something of a financial disappointment, so Damon eventually returned for a fifth outing in 2016.

Jason Bourne 6 Needs To Reveal Pamela Landy's Fate After Legacy's Ending

The spinoff left Bourne's ally in a tough spot

Jason Bourne performed better than Legacy but was still met with mixed reviews and there was a sense that maybe the franchise was done. Of course, studios don't give up on profitable franchises so easily, and Deadline recently confirmed All Quiet on the Western Front director Edward Berger is developing a sixth Bourne movie, with the plan being to approach Damon about returning once a script is developed. Assuming all goes well and he does sign on, the next Bourne should reveal the fate of his old ally Pamela Landy (Joan Allen) following The Bourne Legacy's ending.

For context, Landy was a key character in the second and third entries Supremacy and Ultimatum. Initially tasked with chasing Bourne down, Landy eventually learns the truth about the Treadstone and Blackbriar programs and helps him expose the truth. However, Legacy revealed Landy was going to be used as a scapegoat for the programs instead, and while the movie ended with Cross escaping, Landy's fate was left unknown.

The Bourne franchise also received a TV spinoff titled Treadstone, which ran for one season.

Jason Bourne didn't pick up any plot threads left by Legacy and instead focused on a new story where Damon's spy learned more dark truths about his past. Damon and Allen bounced off each other very well in the second and third movies, and while the fifth outing's decision to give viewers something of a clean slate is understandable, Jason Bourne 6 has the chance to tie off the franchise's loose ends. Revealing what happened to Landy post-Legacy should be one of the key stories it wraps up.

Why Jason Bourne Didn't Bring Back Landy

Joan Allen wasn't brought back for the fifth film

While neither Damon nor director Paul Greengrass spoke out against The Bourne Legacy, they made it clear it wasn't something they were terribly interested in either. At the time, they felt Bourne's arc had been wrapped up by the third film, and that Legacy would be its own thing. This didn't prove to be entirely the case, as the spinoff picked up during the events of Ultimatum, so the specter of Bourne was all over the spinoff - even though Damon never physically appears. When it came time for Damon and Greengrass to work on the fifth outing, it's little surprise they essentially ignored the preceding movie.

Outside of Damon and Julie Stiles making a cameo as Nicky, Jason Bourne had no interest in resolving Legacy's story. This included Landy's fate, but considering where the fourth film left the character, it wouldn't have made sense for Landy to be at the center of another Bourne-related manhunt.

Will Jason Bourne 6 Actually Happen?

There's a Matt Damon-shaped question mark about the next film

News of a new Bourne film being prepped will no doubt excite fans, but it should be treated with caution. Again, Damon is uniquely tied to the role and retains some creative control over it. If it was up to Universal, there probably would have been a new Jason Bourne adventure every few years, but unless there's a solid story behind it, Damon isn't interested. He also has certain rules for g on, including the notion the spy only kills when absolutely necessary, and that Paul Greengrass is the director.

Now it's confirmed that Berger is helming the next movie, Damon may not want to return as Jason Bourne. Of course, maybe the script the new director develops will pique the star's interest, and Greengrass could give his blessing to Damon to work with somebody else. Still, it feels like there's very much a question mark over the project currently. Until Damon officially signs on, it shouldn't be treated as a given the sixth film will happen. Alternately, the franchise could return to Aaron Cross as a protagonist or even reboot entirely, but Damon will wield a lot of power when it comes to negotiations on the project.

Source: Deadline