Ahead of Netflix’s Tudum event, the streamer and Skydance released the official trailer for The Old Guard 2, starring Charlize Theron.
For those who may have forgotten, The Old Guard was a pretty kick-ass sci-fi action film released on the streamer in 2020. Based on Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández’s Image Comics series, the movie follows a team of immortal mercenaries-turned-found family, led by Theron’s Andy, battling unseen threats to protect humanity. Along the way they bring a girl named Nile (KiKi Layne) into the fold, have their secret exposed, and suffer betrayal from within their tight-knit group.
Now, after five years of patient anticipation, the newly released trailer sees Andy confronting her former bestie Quynh (Veronica Ngô), whom she left in an iron maiden at the bottom of the ocean. Andy also has her work cut out with a deadly confrontation with the first immortal being, played by Uma Thurman, who threatens to destroy everything they hold dear with a power “they can’t even imagine.”
Not only does Thurman’s villain come equipped with a katana, but she also has a mysterious bone to pick with Andy, rivaling the fury of the Bride’s warpath in Kill Bill. Naturally, the trailer hints at a final showdown between Thurman and Theron, teasing a powerhouse match-up action fans didn’t know they wanted to see.
Aside from the enticing tease of seeing Theron and Thurman fight, the trailer also sprinkles a nugget of information that would make their battle even more one-sided in Thurman’s favor. Despite apparently knowing the Old Guard’s history and relationships, she doesn’t seem to understand that Theron’s Andy is no longer immortal—though who could blame her, with all of the death-defying stunts we see in the trailer?
As revealed in the movie’s official description, with Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) in exile, Andy, Nile, Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli), and James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) seek out Tuah (Henry Golding), an old ally who may hold the key to unlocking the secrets of their immortality.
Whether this discovery will help Andy regain her lost immortality or strip it from Thurman’s character to level the playing field for their final confrontation remains to be seen.
Filming for The Old Guard 2 wrapped up in 2022, but post-production faced delays due to shifts at Netflix and industry-wide strikes. Because of the film’s radio silence, fans feared the project had been put on ice. However, in a 2024 interview with Variety, Theron set the record straight, reassuring folks the sequel was still moving forward—and that she was “really excited about it.”
“It’s really good,” Theron told Variety. “It’s a really important film to us. I only wanted to do it if we could make it amazing. I really love this movie.”
The Old Guard 2 releases July 2.
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