The Old Guard 2’ – An Immortal Idea Struggles to Stay Alive
Netflix Release Date: July 2, 2025
Director: Victoria Mahoney
Writer: Greg Rucka
The 2020 surprise hit The Old Guard offered a refreshing blend of gritty, grounded action and contemplative existentialism, anchored by a charismatic cast and the centuries-spanning love of its immortal warriors. Unfortunately, the long-delayed sequel, The Old Guard 2, struggles under the weight of its own mythology, arriving as a muddled, emotionally inert follow-up that confuses exposition for depth and an endless cliffhanger for an ending.
While the original film felt like a complete, heartfelt story that just happened to set up a tantalizing premise for a continuation, The Old Guard 2 feels more like a feature-length prologue—or worse, a set of notes for a better movie that never materialized.
The Lore Overload
Director Victoria Mahoney steps in for the original’s Gina Prince-Bythewood, and the difference is immediate and palpable. The signature hand-to-hand combat and sleek action sequences of the first film are replaced here by chaotic, choppy editing that obscures the choreography. A spectacular opening action sequence is promised, but it quickly dissolves into frenetic cuts that make it hard to track the movements of even the most beloved characters.
The main plot picks up six months after Andy (Charlize Theron, reliable as ever) lost her immortality. This higher stake should add tension, but it’s often sidelined in favor of tedious world-building. The core threat, established in the final moments of the first film, is the return of Quynh (Veronica Ngô), Andy’s centuries-ago partner who was imprisoned and continually drowned in an iron maiden for five centuries. Quynh’s rage and pain should drive the film’s emotional core, yet her long-awaited reunion with Andy feels surprisingly muted and underdeveloped.
Adding to the narrative clutter is the introduction of a new, ancient immortal and villain: Discord (Uma Thurman). While the promise of Charlize Theron vs. Uma Thurman is cinematic dynamite, Thurman is severely underutilized. She plays a bitter immortal determined to understand and manipulate the very rules of their existence. The result is a significant amount of screen time dedicated to characters pulling out ancient texts and having long, explanatory conversations about the mechanics of immortality, which ultimately strip the concept of its original magic and mystery.
The Team Feels Fragmented
One of the great joys of the first movie was the tight, lived-in camaraderie of the core group—Andy, Nile, Joe, Nicky, and Booker. Here, the ensemble is fragmented and often relegated to plot device status.
- KiKi Layne’s Nile, the heart and newcomer of the original, is largely adrift, seemingly only there to facilitate key plot mechanics involving the mysterious nature of immortality transfer.
- Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), whose profound, centuries-spanning romance was a highlight of the original, are given a few heartfelt moments, but their dynamic feels disconnected, serving only to become victims of the villain’s convoluted scheme.
- Matthias Schoenaerts’ Booker, exiled for his betrayal, has an arc that feels rushed and poorly paid off, sacrificing himself in a moment that should feel like redemption but instead lands as a confusing plot contrivance.
While Charlize Theron delivers the necessary gravitas for Andy’s struggle with mortality and purpose, even her presence can’t save a script that feels less interested in emotional complexity and more invested in establishing a new set of lore-heavy rules.
A Sequel That’s Half a Movie
Ultimately, the film suffers from a profound lack of resolution. It builds tension with the high stakes of its central conflict—which involves a conspiracy to steal and weaponize the immortals’ gift—but when the final act arrives, it doesn’t deliver a satisfying conclusion. Instead, the movie ends abruptly on a massive, frustrating cliffhanger, leaving the audience with the distinct feeling that they just watched a two-hour setup for a third movie that may never happen.
The Old Guard 2 is not a complete disaster—it’s slickly shot, features moments of engaging action, and Theron remains an exceptional action star. However, it trades the elegant, soulful simplicity of its predecessor for a messy, bloated approach to mythology that diminishes the characters we loved. It takes a vibrant, successful franchise and threatens to kill its momentum, proving that sometimes, even immortals can fall short of expectations.
The Old Guard 2 Cast List
| Actor | Character | Role Description |
| Charlize Theron | Andy (Andromache of Scythia) | The leader of the immortal mercenaries, now facing mortality. |
| KiKi Layne | Nile Freeman | The newest immortal member of the team. |
| Marwan Kenzari | Joe (Yusuf Al-Kaysani) | An immortal member and partner to Nicky. |
| Luca Marinelli | Nicky (Nicolo di Genova) | An immortal member and partner to Joe. |
| Matthias Schoenaerts | Booker (Sebastian Le Livre) | The exiled immortal returning to the fold. |
| Veronica Ngô (Vân Ngô) | Quynh | Andy’s former partner, returned after centuries of imprisonment. |
| Chiwetel Ejiofor | James Copley | The mortal ally who tracks the immortals’ activities. |
| Uma Thurman | Discord | A powerful, mysterious new antagonist and ancient immortal. |
| Henry Golding | Tuah | An old friend and ally of the team. |
| Harry Melling | Merrick | The villain from the first film (unconfirmed appearance, may be archive/flashback). |