The Two Greatest Action Trilogies Of All Time Look Very Different In 2026

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Most action movies are designed for quick thrills and simple entertainment, and rarely become successful long-term franchises. Hollywood often tries to create franchises anyway, but many popular action movies with sequels eventually suffer a drop in quality. Examples include Die Hard, Rambo, The Expendables, Lethal Weapon, and Taken.

It’s rare for an action movie series to have three consistently excellent films. Two recent franchises stand out, both starting in the 2000s, but even though they each delivered three great movies, they’re in very different positions now, as of 2026.

Jason Bourne’s Future Is Filled With Doubt

The Bourne trilogy—The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum—released between 2002 and 2007, revolutionized action movies. It introduced a fresh, distinctive style to fight scenes and also brought more emphasis on developing compelling characters and storylines.

The Bourne movies were incredibly popular in the early 2000s, but the series eventually lost its momentum. While attempts were made to continue the franchise with a new lead actor in 2012’s The Bourne Legacy, and then with Matt Damon’s return in 2016, neither effort revitalized the series. Even a spin-off TV show called Treadstone couldn’t prevent the decline of Bourne’s status as a top action hero.

The future of Jason Bourne is up in the air as we head into 2026. There was talk of restarting the film series in 2025 after a battle over who owned the rights, but Universal Pictures ultimately regained control and says it wants to continue the story. While it’s unclear what that will look like, any new Bourne film will need to be better than the recent, less successful spin-offs and sequels.

John Wick 5 Can Continue One Of Hollywood’s Most Impressive Streaks

The John Wick movies share a lot of similarities with the Bourne films. Both feature incredibly skilled protagonists who single-handedly fight through waves of enemies to dismantle powerful, dangerous groups. Just like the Bourne series, the first three John Wick films – John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2, and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum – have been huge successes, solidifying Keanu Reeves as a top action star.

Like the Bourne franchise before it, John Wick seems stuck focusing almost entirely on its main character. The TV show The Continental didn’t really catch on – much like Treadstone did – and now Ballerina is landing with a thud, both at the box office and with critics. It feels a lot like The Bourne Legacy: a spin-off that just doesn’t quite reach the heights of the original series.

The biggest difference between these two action series is how well John Wick: Chapter 4 performed. While Matt Damon’s return as Jason Bourne failed to recapture the franchise’s past success, John Wick: Chapter 4 continued its impressive run. Even with the spin-off films, the main John Wick series hasn’t disappointed yet.

Keanu Reeves’ action hero is in a much stronger position than Matt Damon’s. A fifth John Wick movie is planned, and after consistently exceeding expectations for ten years, it’s a safe bet it will be successful. The next John Wick film could solidify his status as the leading action star today, if he hasn’t already earned that title.

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2026-02-10 18:41