Despite the chaos of a global pandemic and impending presidential elections,The Old Guardwas one of Netflix’s biggest releases in 2020. Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka, the film followed a group of centuries-old immortals dedicated to helping others — an undeniably appealing pitch in the current socio-political climate. But when the secret of their existence is discovered, the group must evade capture and fight to protect themselves, all while training the newest addition to their squad along the way. Starring Charlize Theron (with her best haircut sinceAtomic Blonde) as Andromache the Scythian, alongside an ensemble cast including KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, and Luca Marinelli,The Old Guardis a surprisingly heartwarming and compellingly gory action flick —complete with a cliffhanger endingthat has left audiences on the edge of their seats for five years and counting.
WhenThe Old Guardwas initially released,it earned 72 million views in the first four weeksand racked up an impressive 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. So it’s no surprise that a sequel was greenlit less than a year later, with Victoria Mahoney attached to direct. Still,it took a long time forThe Old Guard 2to finally get the proper release date, now confirmed as June 12, 2025. Here’s everything we know so far and a few predictions about what to expect when the sequel finally drops.
The Old Guard 2
What’s Took ‘The Old Guard 2’ So Long?
The production timeline forThe Old Guard 2is more than a little complicated after four years of updates, but the vast majority of the issues keeping it delayed seem to be more bureaucratic entanglements than lack of interest. In August 2021, Theron announced that the highly anticipatedsequel would begin filming in 2022.Filming was completed that same year, andThe Old Guard 2entered the post-production stage— which is where it encountered the first of many delays.According to Theron, changes in Netflix leadership preventedThe Old Guard 2from moving forward for several weeks, while in 2023, the SAG-AFTRA strikes prevented the film’s progress once again.
Then, to make matters worse, it was reported thatThe Old Guard 2would undergo several reshoots. The first batch took place in October 2024, with additional photography initially set to take place in early summer 2025. This news had many assuming thatOld Guard 2may not have seen a proper release date until 2026, making the recent announcement that its release was confirmed for streaming on Netflixa pleasant surprise for fans.
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The Old Guard 2 is bigger and better than the first outing.
The Announcement of ‘Old Guard 2’
Fans finally got the announcement ofTheOld Guard 2during Netflix’s “Next on Netflix” presentation in Los Angeles on August 20, 2025. Besides the release date of June 16, 2025,it was confirmed that several cast members would be returning, including Charlize Theron reprising as Andy, KiKi Layne as Nile Freeman, Marwan Kenzari as Joe, Luca Marinelli as Nicky, Matthias Schoenaerts as Booker, Chiwetel Ejiofor as Copley, and Veronica Ngo as Quynh. Director Victoria Mahoney was also confirmed. The sequel to the hit 2020 action film was also given an official logline of"Andy and her team of immortal warriors return to protect humanity from a formidable new enemy who threatens their existence."
What Can We Expect From ‘The Old Guard 2’?
Although a synopsis for the film hasn’t yet been released, we can make a pretty good guess about what to expect. At the end ofThe Old Guard, it’s revealed that an old member of Andromache — or Andy’s — team, who has endured centuries of torment and imprisonment at the bottom of the ocean, is still alive and out for blood.The Old Guard 2will undeniably pit Andy against her former friend (or lover, depending on who you ask) turned nemesis, an especially harrowing confrontation since Andy no longer possesses her immortality or self-healing abilities.The Old Guard’s source material, Rucka’s graphic novel,also supports this prediction, with the synopsis of its second volume reading:
““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 expected to ever see again returns to challenge not only what Andy believes in, but what the team is willing to fight for.”
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It’s also likely thatThe Old Guard 2will be jam-packed with emotional turmoil and some truly heart-wrenching moments. Although the violence and gore of the original film were certainly prominent — and enjoyable — elements,The Old Guardis a series that contains an emotional depth often overlooked in action flicks. The curse or blessing of immortality on the films' characters allows them to enter incredibly dangerous situations to help people, but also isolates them from their families, loved ones, and pretty much everyone except for each other. The amount of horror and bloodshed they’ve witnessed through the centuries is also sure to take a toll, and Andy in particular is probablyhaunted by dozens of demons— including the guilt of leaving Quynh at the bottom of the ocean.
These conflicts are truly what setsThe Old Guardapart from your typical beat ‘em up blockbusters. There’s nothing else quite like Andy and her crew — which could also be a result of the series’ overwhelmingly female crew — and I, for one, will eagerly wait for their return whenOld Guard 2comes to Netflix on August 19, 2025.
