The release of The Old Guard could not have gone better. Whether it’s the great critical response, rising up Netflix’s Top 10 charts or fans already demanding a sequel, it’s safe to say we’ll eventually see a follow up to the Charlize Theron action movie.
While the streaming service has yet to officially green-light it, the groundwork has already been laid and The Old Guard has plenty of mythology to build upon. Not to mention that judging by the ending, the filmmakers are clearly intending to bring us more. But what should we expect from the second outing?
Well, one driving force behind the plot in the film is that four immortals led by Andy (Theron) discover, after centuries of fighting together, that a fifth person with the gift exists. What does it mean? Why now? These are questions that aren’t fully answered as the plot quickly diverges when Pharma CEO Merrick, who has a massive Napoleon complex, discovers who they are and begins hunting them in order to take their DNA to cultivate potential antibodies for sick people. Sounds like a good idea. But really, he just wants to monopolize and patent it in order to make a ton of money.
CIA agent Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who was instrumental in their capture, realizes he’s made a mistake in trusting Merrick and eventually decides to work with Andy and her team. The ending then suggests he’ll become the Nick Fury of this world with his spy background and connections.
A major wrinkle in the plot as well as a sequel though is that Andy is no longer immortal. This is a smart decision, as it not only raises the stakes knowing that at least one of them can be killed, but it also sets up potential themes like legacy and sacrifice for the next chapter. The Old Guard did a great job of establishing and making us care about the five main characters and left plenty of room for more development. Not to mention thousands of years of backstory.
There’s also the added drama that one member of the team, Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), betrayed them because he no longer wishes to live forever and see his loved ones die. He’s banished from the group for 100 years and six months later, he finds Quynh standing in his apartment as the film ends. It’s revealed early on that Quynh and Andy were the first two immortals. After centuries of fighting together, Quynh is eventually caught and placed in a coffin and sent to the bottom of the ocean where she’ll drown, return to life and drown again over and over for 500 years.
Seeing that she’s escaped obviously raises many questions though about her intentions towards Andy and the rest of the team. Like a great MCU movie, that added scene at the end not only jumpstarts excitement for a sequel, but gives fans plenty to chew on until they get it.
The earliest we could expect a follow up would be 2022 thanks to COVID-19, but the second volume of the graphic novel was just released in December of 2019 and there’s already a blueprint for the second film. In the meantime, be sure to check out The Old Guard if you haven’t already. It’s one of the better action movies in recent memory and one of the best Netflix releases in quite some time.
