Ah, 2020, the year where a global pandemic shut down cinemas and had even the best new films premiering on streaming. Also, the year where Netflix released an original that exploded onto the action genre and quickly became one of their highest viewed originals. I’m talking about Gina Prince-Bythewood’s The Old Guard, that follows four immortal warriors who try to improve the world whilst evading capture, as they welcome a new immortal into their pack. Not only is this film bursting with diversity in a way that revolutionises the action genre, but it is perhaps my Favourite Film. The Old Guard 2 began reshoots in October 2024, but despite its nearness to completion, hardly anyone knows this sequel exists!
First, some context. On 10th July 2020, The Old Guard, based on the graphic novel of the same name by Greg Rucka, is released on Netflix. It’s streamed 78 million times in its first four weeks of release, landing it a spot in the top 10 launches of Netflix history. The film receives praise for its subversion of classic superhero tropes and the way it infused such rich diversity into a genre that had been sorely lacking it historically. The main characters are from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures (as well as time periods!), and the film features explicit LGBTQ+ representation through the relationship between Joe and Nicky, whose iconic love declaration you can find here.
By August 2021 a sequel is in the works based on the second Old Guard graphic novel, to be directed by Victoria Mahoney, and adding Uma Thurman among others to the returning original cast headed by Charlize Theron. Filming begins in June 2022, and wraps in Rome in September of that year. And then… nothing.
For a film that was set to release in 2023, there was surprisingly little buzz about it, owed in no small part to Netflix itself. The cast appeared briefly in Netflix’s virtual event TUDUM in 2022 (timestamp for their appearance is 27:30), teasing the surprises to come, and since then there has been no official advertising or information about the film. Netflix referenced the first film in a Valentine’s article in 2024, urging people to watch it before the sequel arrives, but due to their lack of advertising many fans remained unaware the sequel existed, let alone that it was supposed to be releasing imminently. Netflix announcement reels came and went, none of which mentioned the sequel.
Fans of the film took to Twitter and worked to share information about the delay and Netflix’s silence. One account began producing their own posters and advertising under the username TheOldGuard2, later revealing that they were performing an experiment to prove how easy it was to make advertising and engage with the film’s extensive fanbase, and thus how inexcusable Netflix’s silence was. The account is now an Old Guard news account under the username NewsMultiplied.
Understandably, the lack of information upset many fans of the first film. Considering that multiple films which started filming long after The Old Guard 2 ended up releasing before, it seemed that it was purposefully being pushed down in priority. This rubbed many people wrongly, especially since other properties that were praised for diverse representation, such as another Netflix original Shadow and Bone, were being cancelled in quick succession around this time. It seemed to many as though explicitly queer media was being targeted for cuts over more conventional titles.
As of right now, things are finally looking up. In an interview in February, Matthias Schoenaerts (who plays Booker) hinted at changes in Netflix leadership being cause for the delay, and promised ‘it’s gonna show up at some point’, putting to rest fans’ fears that the film had been shelved for good. In July, Charlize Theron revealed that post-production was ‘shut down’ due to these leadership changes, as well as actors and writers strikes adding to the delay, but that it had finally been picked back up, confirmed again by Luca Marinelli (who plays Nicky) at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. Reshoots began in Vancouver in October, with many of the main cast members being sighted on location. Current estimates are hoping for an early/mid 2025 release date.
The Old Guard is an incredibly special film. Directed by and starring black women, and featuring an LGBTQ+ couple as the film’s main romantic relationship, it really did make waves in advocating a diversifying of the action genre both on-screen and behind the scenes. Narratively speaking, it’s such an interesting take on the trope of immortality, creating a visceral richness in both character and action. It’s no surprise that it garnered such a reaction on release, and its fanbase have remained dedicated like no other – it placed 67th on Tumblr’s movie of the year wrap up in 2023, despite having not had new content released in years. Such a long-lasting impression, and such a community around it, is something that many of Netflix’s titles fail to build. It’s not a perfect film by any means, but has such uniqueness and heart that it’s not one to be overlooked, by Netflix or anyone else.
I think having awareness of the behind-the-scenes happenings surrounding these big companies, and being critical of which projects are prioritised over others, is important for anyone who is passionate about the world of film, and the case of The Old Guard is a long and interesting example of why. I hope I’ve managed to convince you to watch it, or else spread the word about the sequel since after nearly five long years it looks like it’s finally on its way!
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