Fans of The Old Guard who are waiting for a third movie to be announced on Netflix may have to wait some time. Charlize Theron was cagey when asked about the likelihood of The Old Guard 3 in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
The Old Guard 2 premiered on Netflix on July 2, five years after the first movie hit the streaming service. Theron revealed she has learned to never be overconfident about sequels being made.
“One thing I’ve learned in this business is that there are no guarantees, and it’s really gracious of [Netflix] to not have pushed us into another direction,” Theron told the outlet. She also admitted she had no idea what a third film in the franchise “would even look like.”
The recently released The Old Guard 2 ends on a cliffhanger, but the 24% Rotten Tomatoes score and less than positive feedback may mean we don’t see Andy and co. again. Luckily, the audience has ignored the critics and made it a huge hit for the streamer. According to Netflix, the sequel landed in the global top 10 upon release with 37.5 million views and 66.8 million hours viewed. Netflix has previously ignored negative critical reviews and scores to make sequels. They’ve also been known to cancel franchises and shows that are critically well-received but don’t bring in viewers.
The Victoria Mahoney-directed sequel, adapted from Greg Rucka’s comic book, finds the immortals mercenaries (Charlize Theron, KiKi Layne, Matthias Schoenaerts, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Henry Golding) trying to save mankind from immortal baddies Discord (Uma Thurman) and Quỳnh (Veronica Ngô). Their story is far from finished, and anyone who has seen The Old Guard 2 will know that there is a lot of life left in this franchise. In fact, some complained the entire sequel felt unfinished because of its cliffhanger ending.
Original creator and film writer Greg Rucka knows this is a three-part story, which he hopes to finish. He told Looper during the production of the sequel.
“God willing, if it’s a success, Netflix comes back and says, ‘Hey, let’s do it again.’ There’s more to tell, and there are questions that we want to answer.”
While producer Marc Evans told Variety in May 2023 that the ending to The Old Guard 2 “kind of demands a No. 3, which makes me very happy," Theron wanted a break from the stunt work. Theron, who also serves as a producer on the franchise, told Variety, “We’re going to take a break, take a little breather, and then we’ll come back and decide.”
It's still up in the air whether Theron will return to the sequel. Director Victoria Mahorney confirmed she wouldn’t be back following The Old Guard 2.
"I hope for it, and I hope that audiences get it, and I hope everyone that goes to play on that third one has a ball and kicks ass," the director who took over from Gina Prince-Bythewood, told Entertainment Weekly. While she won’t be behind the camera, she confirmed she will be rooting for them.
The Old Guard and The Old Guard 2 are streaming now on Netflix.
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