Almost as soon as The Old Guard arrived on Netflix last month, fans started demanding a sequel as the comic book adaptation firmly captured the attention of subscribers around the world. Having only just revealed their Top 10 most-watched original movies, the streaming service had to immediately rewrite the list as the action-packed blockbuster was viewed by an estimated 72 million people in a matter of weeks.
One of the problems that Netflix face is that once their high-profile originals have been available for a while, interest often drops off a cliff because the platform can’t rely on the same kind of marketing tactics as traditional blockbusters to keep their titles in the public consciousness. For example, Bright was their first-ever attempt at playing the studios at their own game when it came to big-budget content, and while it did solid numbers, any talk of a sequel has virtually evaporated.
Similarly, 6 Underground was a splashy $150 million Michael Bay movie with Ryan Reynolds in the lead role, but it feels like nobody’s talked about it for months since the initial buzz wore off. The creative team behind The Old Guard will be hoping to avoid those pitfalls though, and after we heard that a follow-up was in the early stages of development a few weeks ago, writer Greg Rucka has confirmed in a recent interview that talks are ongoing.
“Yeah, certainly. There have been discussions, nothing is confirmed, and I don’t think there will be a decision made as to whether or not another one is in the offering for a while yet. The decision to make another one is going to be made by people who are far outside of my lane. If they decide to do another one, I am absolutely there for it.”
Everyone involved in The Old Guard seems more than keen to get the gang back together for more adventures, and star and producer Charlize Theron is staying in the Netflix business for a while yet with Atomic Blonde 2 in the works as well. As such, surely it won’t be long until the band of immortal mercenaries get an official start date for their next outing.
