Marvel and the DC Universe both have big new superhero movies premiering in July with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman, but they’re not the only ones. Netflix is getting in on the summer superhero action with a long-awaited sequel to one of their best original big-budget action films, The Old Guard 2, now streaming.
The Old Guard premiered on Netflix back in 2020 and starred Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli and Chiwetel Ejiofor. It was based on the graphic novel series by Greg Rucka about a covert group of immortal mercenaries that have protected the world for centuries. In the movie, directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood and written by Rucka, the group finds a new individual like them while also needing to contend with the threat of someone looking to replicate their powers.
“Certified Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes (and a consistent presence on our best movies on Netflix list), The Old Guard was a popular watch when it first premiered, with 72 million households watching it in its first month, per reports.
With The Old Guard ending introducing a major reveal that left viewers buzzing, The Old Guard 2 was unsurprisingly green-lit, the team was brought back together and filming wrapped on the movie in 2023. So why has it taken two more years for it to debut on Netflix?
Theron told Variety that some “changeover” at Netflix led to their post-production actually being shut down for a little bit. Add in the actor and writer’s strikes that held so many movies up in 2023, and The Old Guard 2 just took a little bit longer to get across the finish line than originally planned. Though Theron said she was never too concerned about the movie not getting its debut.
Now it is officially here, with a number of new faces and contributors. Joining The Old Guard 2 cast are Veronica Ngô, Henry Golding and Uma Thurman. Meanwhile, there is a new director in Victoria Mahoney, making her feature directing debut after years directing episodes of popular TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy, The Morning Show, Lovecraft Country and Netflix’s You.
Here’s the synopsis for The Old Guard 2:
“Andy (Theron) and her team of immortal warriors are back, with a renewed sense of purpose in their mission to protect the world. With Booker (Schoenaerts) still in exile after his betrayal, and Quynh (Ngô) out for revenge after escaping her underwater prison, Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges that could jeopardize everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years. Andy, Nile (Layne), Joe (Kenzari), Nicky (Marinelli) and James Copley (Ejiofor) enlist the help of Tuah (Golding), an old friend who may provide the key to unlocking the mystery behind immortal existence.”
And check out the trailer right here:
You must have a Netflix subscription if you want to watch The Old Guard 2.
