The Old Guard 2 is headed for Netflix following a successful streaming run for the first film.
Based on the comic book series of the same name, The Old Guard stars Charlize Theron as a thousand-year-old regenerative mercenary, who has taken on missions to thwart evil throughout the annals of time.
The first film was met with mostly positive reception upon its July 2020 release, sitting at a solid 80% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.
So with The Old Guard 2 on the way, here is everything we know about the super-powered blockbuster.
The Old Guard 2 Release: When Will It Come Out?
No official release date has been announced for The Old Guard 2 as of yet, but the movie is slowly making its way down the production pipeline.
This sequel dates all the way back to shortly after the 2020 original hit Netflix.
Following the release of the first film, The Old Guard writer Greg Rucka revealed he has some ideas for a sequel should the streamer want to dive back into his superhero world.
In July 2020, he pointed to some of the teases seen at the end of the original film, telling Polygon, "In case of sequel, break glass:"
“In case of sequel, break glass. It’s very straightforward. You want another one? Here’s a way to get into it. We wanted to say ‘Look, the mythology is bigger than you think it is. There is more going on.”
It was then a year later that the film was officially greenlit by Netflix.
For fans eager to get their hands on The Old Guard 2, the wait should not be too much longer.
Filming for the project kicked off in June 2022, and - despite a devastating set fire that halted production for several weeks (via The Hollywood Reporter) - principal photography officially wrapped at the end of September 2022.
That means the film has been in post-production for over a year at this point.
The movie has been missing from all of Netflix's' 'Coming in 2023' marketing so it will likely not premiere any time this year.
The first film came to the streamer just over a year after it finished filming, so if the sequel were to follow that same formula, its streaming debut could come at any moment.
Who Is Cast in The Old Guard 2?
All of the main cast will return for the upcoming Old Guard sequel.
Headlining this superhero ensemble is again Oscar-winner Charlize Theron. Theron returns as Andy (a.k.a. Andromache of Scythia) the immortal leader of the Old Guard mercenaries with the ability to heal themselves.
While Theron's Andy will look largely the same as she did in the first film, the Old Guard star has hinted that there will be some changes coming to the character, including a "mullet" (via The Hollywood Reporter):
"We needed something that felt like time had passed, so for that, you go with the ol' mullet."
Also returning is Doctor Strange star Chiwetel Ejiofor as CIA operative James Copley. After his character betrayed the team in the first film, Copely has seen the error of his ways and will be helping to keep the Old Guard hidden from interested parties.
Other returning actors include:
- KiKi Layne as Nile
- Matthias Schoenaerts as Booker
- Marwan Kenzari as Joe
- Luca Marinelli as Nicky
- Veronica Ngo as Quynh
A couple of new names popping into The Old Guard world for the first time are Uma Thurman and Henry Golding.
It remains unknown who these Hollywood mainstays will be playing in the high-stakes sequel, but some have speculated they could be the villains of this super-powered story.
What Will Happen in The Old Guard 2?
The Old Guard 2 is yet again set to stun with a thrilling tale of these immortal warriors.
However, things will be a little different this time around, as it seems Charlize Theron's Andy may actually no longer be impervious to death as evidenced by her knife wound seen at the very end of the first film.
Another major element to be explored in The Old Guard 2 is the return of Veronica Ngo's Quynh. Throughout the original movie, the former Old Guard team member was thought to have been dead; however, she reappeared in The Old Guard's post-credit scene, seemingly setting her up for the sequel.
Theron teased in an interview on Late Night with Seth Myers the relationship between her Andy and Quynh was something they "didn’t really explore in [the first] film," and in a (at the time potential) second movie they would dive deep into that:
“There’s obviously a relationship there that we didn’t really explore in this film. So I’m excited if we get the chance to make another one, to explore that, because then we’re just adding another female into the mix, which I think will make it really interesting.” With Andy’s immortality apparently running out, it could be a difficult reunion.
Seeing as The Old Guard followed its comic book counterpart fairly closely (aside from a few minor changes), one can assume The Old Guard 2 will do the same with the comic book sequel titled Force Multiplied.
That synopsis for the second Old Guard comic story hints at a villain from the past coming to take on the team, so that could be where the second film is going as well (per Image Comics):
"When you’ve waged war as long as Andy and her squad, you’ve gotten your hands more than bloody. Now, the day has come to confront the sins of the past. But as Nile struggles to make peace with the team, the last person Andy ever expected to see again returns to challenge not only what Andy believes in, but what the team is willing to fight for."
The Old Guard 2 is expected to be released sometime in 2024.
