Deadline have just announced plans for a fifth film in the Bourne Franchise. And once again Jeremy Renner will be reprising his role as Aaron Cross from
The Bourne Legacy. Personally, I couldn't be happier. While I enjoyed the original trilogy with Matt Damon, there was something about the fourth film, the first not to feature him, that I found surprisingly good. I think the decision to open up the back story on where the original title character came from, namely Project Treadstone was an inspired one. If you're going to lose your leading man, you had better have something meaty to tantalise the audience with. What the fourth film cleverly did was have the ramifications of Jason Bourne's actions in the third film indirectly leading the actions of Ed Norton's Eric Byer to take out anyone connected with the black ops projects linked to Treadstone (of which the public has become aware) to protect the government's secrets. Immediately
The Bourne Legacy felt 'bigger'. We might have had Jason Bourne travelling the world in search of secrets but it always felt like one man's story. While we had a new hero, Aaron Cross, we were also introduced to the super soldiers and the scientists involved in their enhancements. Rachel Weisz's Doctor Marta Shearing also gave us a strong female lead, perhaps lacking from the first three films, a love interest but also a connection to the government projects and ultimately a victim herself. With both characters forced to go on the run, we had more connections as an audience, characters who also came across as more sympathetic. There's no news yet on whether Rachel Weisz or Matt Damon may be making a return for
Bourne 5, but here's my thoughts on where the film should go next.