The Bourne Legacy is a 2012 action-thriller film directed by Tony Gilroy, serving as both a sequel and a spin-off to the original Bourne trilogy.
While Matt Damon does not reprise his role as Jason Bourne, the film expands the universe established in the previous films, focusing on a new protagonist, Aaron Cross, played by Jeremy Renner.
The story follows Aaron Cross, an operative in a covert CIA program known as Operation Outcome, which enhances agents through genetic modifications. The film begins with the fallout from the events of The Bourne Ultimatum, where the exposure of the Treadstone program leads to a government cover-up and the termination of related projects, including Outcome. As the CIA seeks to eliminate all traces of these programs, Cross finds himself targeted for assassination.
Cross teams up with Dr. Marta Shearing (played by Rachel Weisz), a scientist involved in the Outcome program. Together, they navigate a dangerous landscape filled with assassins and government agents determined to eliminate them. The film explores themes of identity and survival as Cross fights to retain his enhanced abilities while uncovering the truth behind his program and the broader implications of government secrecy.
Upon its release on August 10, 2012, The Bourne Legacy received mixed reviews from critics but was generally praised for its action sequences and Renner's performance. It grossed over $276 million worldwide against a budget of approximately $125 million. The film's approach to expanding the Bourne narrative without relying on Damon’s character was seen as ambitious, although some fans of the original trilogy felt it lacked the same depth and intensity.
Overall, The Bourne Legacy successfully broadens the franchise's scope by introducing new characters and storylines while maintaining the high-stakes action and intrigue that defined its predecessors. It set the stage for potential future installments in the Bourne series, exploring the consequences of covert operations and their impact on individuals caught in their web.