One of the Best Action Thriller Franchises in History Is Streaming on Netflix for the First Time Ever
After nearly a quarter of a century, one of the greatest and most seminal action franchises is all ready for a resurgence on streaming after finally landing, in its entirety, on Netflix. Long before Keanu Reeves’ John Wick ever embarked on an endless mission of revenge, there was another assassin casting a vast shadow over the world of modern action movies. And while, to begin with, he didn’t know his own name, it didn’t take long for everyone else to learn and never forget it.
He Was the Perfect Weapon…Until He Became the Target
While he’s now become known for action hero roles, there was a time when the idea of Academy Award winner Matt Damon using his fists to take down enemies had everyone balking. Even laughing. But, aged just 29 during production, action thriller The Bourne Identity transformed the young actor into an unstoppable force both on and off-screen. The Bourne Identity was unleashed way back in 2002, introducing the titular assassin as a confused young man with a particular set of skills (and no idea how he got them) fighting to discover who he is…and struggling to come to terms with the answers.
A gripping, grounded action thriller from director Doug Liman, and based on Robert Ludlum’s 1980 novel of the same name, The Bourne Identity did nothing less than change action movies forever. Marking the end of CGI-heavy blockbusters with behemoth leading men, something which had drifted from the 80s into the 90s, so influential was Bourne that he even changed one of the most iconic heroes of all time, James Bond, forever.
Identity was followed by The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, with Paul Greengrass taking over directing duties and upping the guerrilla-style filmmaking, the initial Bourne trilogy is quite rightly held aloft as one of the greatest of all time thanks to a star-making performance from Damon as he delivers slickly brutal fight sequences, crunchy car chases, and flinch-worthy shootouts. All three movies, as well as the underrated spin-off The Bourne Legacy starring Jeremy Renner as another assassin, and the oddly disappointing sequel Jason Bourne are now all streaming on Netflix for the first time as of Oct. 1, 2026.
The Next Chapter in the Bourne Franchise Could Replace Matt Damon
The last we saw Jason Bourne was 10 years in the aptly titled Jason Bourne, and while word of a sequel has been as secret and scarce as a Bourne-style mission, Matt Damon himself recently confirmed that Academy Award-winning director Edward Berger is being eyed to take the helm of the next chapter. “I’m talking to a great director named Ed Berger. He did All Quiet on the Western Front,” Damon revealed back in July. “He’s a wonderful director, and we’re talking about it. We’re just trying to figure out. We’re trying to nail the story down because I’d love to do it.”
A potential title, The Bourne Dilemma, has also since been revealed, with the hottest rumor surrounding the future of the franchise being that Spider-Man: Brand New Day star Zendaya is being eyed to play a new, younger assassin alongside Damon, who will pass the torch to her. While we await something official, it’s now easier than ever to delve back into Bourne’s world thanks to Netflix.