Marie is a key character in the original, but why was she killed so fast in The Bourne Supremacy? The original Bourne Identity suffered through a messy production, which included various reshoots and release delays. The thriller was expected to be a dud that would quickly sink, but it proved to be one of the most important spy thrillers of the '00s. It's grounded style and innovative action made it a word-of-mouth blockbuster, that would not only launch a franchise but influence spy movies like Bond reboot Casino Royale.
Franka Potente played Marie in The Bourne Identity, who is reluctantly drawn into Bourne's quest before they eventually fall in love. Potente was coming off the success of Run Lola Run at the time, which made her a natural choice for another relentlessly paced thriller. Part of what made The Bourne Identity work was its focus on Bourne (Matt Damon) and Marie over the action. It had some great setpieces, but it was the audience's investment in their relationship that made it so compelling. While the film ends on a happy note for the duo, the sequel soon ripped that away.
Marie Was Killed By Mistake In The Bourne Supremacy
When Bourne Supremacy opens, Bourne and Marie are living in peace in Goa. Elsewhere, a Russian assassin named Kirill (Karl Urban) has framed Bourne for killing a CIA agent and his source. Before the CIA can grab Bourne for themselves to learn the truth, Kirill heads to Goa to kill him, but the retired assassin senses his presence and flees with Marie. In the middle of the chase, Bourne switches seats with Marie, when Kirill - who still believed Bourne was driving - fires a sniper rifle, which hits her in the back of the head.
Their jeep later crashes into a river, where the grieving Bourne is forced to leave Marie's body. The Bourne Supremacy is darker than the original Jason Bourne movie, with Marie's death letting viewers know early it won't be another chase story with her and Bourne. This moment was a genuine surprise back in 2004 and is made all the more tragic for the fact it's a genuine mistake. It's doubtful Kirill felt any remorse over Marie's shooting, but Bourne was his target and he fired with the belief the latter was still driving.
How Marie's Death Changed The Bourne Franchise
While Marie's death pushes Bourne to seek revenge, her final words about him having a choice about being a killer stayed with him. Viewers might notice that in the remaining films, Bourne might deploy martial arts and guns regularly but he very rarely kills anybody, and usually only does so in self-defense. He doesn't even shoot a wounded Kirill in Bourne Supremacy's finale. Marie brought some humanity and light into the original, but later outings became noticeably colder with her death. It appears Bourne never forgave himself for her death either, and seemingly never attempted to have another romantic relationship in the aftermath.