$1.6 Billion Action Franchise Switching Main Characters Failed So Bad, The Original Star Returned

It's not always easy for a popular movie franchise to switch main characters, as one action movie series can attest. While audiences initially latch onto an IP thanks to specific leads, Hollywood's plans for the titles often go beyond what an individual actor or character can withstand. That's why we've watched everything from Star Wars to Jurassic and Harry Potter change main characters over the years.

In some cases, these go over quite well. Star Wars successfully transitioned from following Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker to Daisy Ridley's Rey. Jurassic moved past Sam Neill's Alan Grant for Chris Pratt's Owen Grady, only for Scarlett Johansson's Zora Bennett to take over going forward. Even Rocky got new life by turning the franchise over to Michael B. Jordan's Adonis Creed.

However, there are plenty of cautionary tales. Harry Potter saw declining interest after making Eddie Redmayne's Newt Scamander the protagonist. Mad Max struggled to get audiences in theaters to watch Anya Taylor-Joy's Furiosa take center stage. Ballerina failed to position Ana de Armas' Eve Maccaro as John Wick's new lead, even with Keanu Reeves' involvement.

The Bourne franchise is another that made plans to switch main characters by moving on from Matt Damon's Jason Bourne after a successful first trilogy. Not only did the replacement plan fail, but it went so poorly that Universal eventually had no other choice but to bring him back to keep the IP alive.

Why Matt Damon's Jason Bourne Didn't Return For Bourne 4

Damon was front and center for Universal's first three Bourne movies: 2002's The Bourne Identity, 2004's The Bourne Supremacy, and 2007's The Bourne Ultimatum​​​​​​. He turned Treadstone's special agent who lost his memory and then turned on the agency into a globally recognized action hero. The original trilogy grossed nearly $1 billion, making Universal eager to keep it going.

Just over one year after The Bourne Ultimatum was released, the studio had a fourth Bourne movie in development. Universal brought back Ultimatum's co-writer George Nolfi to write the script, with Damon expected to come back. He even expressed interest in Bourne 4 at first, but then his tune changed, saying he'd only do it if Paul Greengrass was directing again.

That complicated the development on Bourne 4, as Greengrass elected to forgo returning to the action franchise to pursue other projects. Without Greengrass, Universal had no luck getting Damon back. Rather than waiting on them, the studio scrapped this version of Bourne 4 and recruited franchise co-writer Tony Gilroy to find a new path forward.

This led Gilroy to create Bourne's new main character, Aaron Cross, and direct the franchise's first Jason Bourne-free installment: The Bourne Legacy. Jeremy Renner was cast to play Aaron Cross, and the movie hit theaters in 2012 with the hope of starting a new era for the action series.

The Bourne Legacy Failed To Make Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross The Franchise Lead

Unfortunately for Jeremy Renner, The Bourne Legacy wasn't able to deliver on that potential. The actor proved to be a great fit for the Bourne franchise, as he effortlessly handled the action and dramatic elements. Aaron Cross is even a pretty solid character, with his realization that Treadstone cannot be trusted spurring him to gain his freedom and do better.

The issue Bourne encountered with its main character switch was a drop in audience interest. The Bourne Legacy only made $276 million worldwide, the lowest for the franchise outside the original. Audiences communicated with their wallets that they prefer Damon's Bourne to be at the center. The $150+ million dip at the box office from Damon's last installment, plus mixed reviews, left Universal uncertain about how to move forward.

The studio put a Bourne Legacy sequel into development a year later, with Gilroy co-writing the script with Antony Peckham. Shortly thereafter, Universal tapped Fast & Furious' Justin Lin to direct the movie. The studio even gave Bourne Legacy's sequel an August 2015 release date, which then got delayed to July 2016 before being delayed indefinitely. A decade later, it still hasn't come to pass.

Matt Damon's Jason Bourne Has Reclaimed His Spot As Bourne's Main Character

Beyond The Bourne Legacy's lukewarm reception, the franchise didn't keep expanding this story due to Damon returning for more. He and Greengrass found a story they wanted to tell in 2014, lead Universal to put Bourne 5, eventually titled Jason Bourne, on its calendar for July 2016.

Even though the fifth film was not as well received as the original trilogy, Jason Bourne solidified that the franchise belongs to Damon. The movie made $416 million worldwide, the second-highest total for the series (not adjusted for inflation). The great financial performance left Universal to only consider making additional movies if Damon's spy would be the main character.

This has led them to actively develop Bourne 6 with Damon in recent years. The movie does not currently have a release date or a firm date to start filming. What Bourne 6 does have is a director in All Quiet on the Western Front and Conclave's Edward Berger.

Details on Bourne 6's story remain under wraps, as do any cast members. Rumors have swirled that the film could involve Jason Bourne attempting to pass the baton to a new female character to be the franchise's main character. Whether that comes to pass or the movie actually happens in the aftermath of Damon's career year with The Odyssey remains to be seen.

Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross Could Still Return To Bourne

This leaves Aaron Cross with no clear future in the Bourne franchise. Franchise producer Frank Marshall said a decade ago that The Bourne Legacy was unlikely to ever get a sequel, and that can certainly be ruled out after all this time and Damon's return. But that doesn't mean there's no room for Renner's character.

The one way he could come back at this point would be as part of a franchise crossover, one that unites Bourne and Cross on-screen, either as allies or enemies (or both at different points in the story). Renner is no stranger to ensemble crossover movies thanks to his time in the MCU, and it would be quite fun to see him and Damon square off at this stage.

For this to happen, it would likely require Damon pushing for it. Universal is in no rush to remind audiences about The Bourne Legacy, even if it is much better than its reputation. Even if Damon and Renner aren't up for a Bourne versus Cross fight at this point in their careers, it would still be great to see them cross paths and for Bourne to bring the franchise's only two main characters together.

Cast

Matt Damon, Jeremy Renner, Franka Potente, Julia Stiles, Brian Cox, Gabriel Mann, Chris Cooper, Clive Owen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Rachel Weisz, Joan Allen, Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Jeremy Irvine

Character(s)

Jason Bourne, Aaron Cross, Marie Helena Kreutz, Nicky Parsons, Ward Abbott, Danny Zorn, Alexander Conklin, The Professor, Nykwanna Wombosi, Dr. Marta Shearing, Pamela Landy, CIA Director Robert Dewey, Heather Lee, John Randolph