Published: May 8, 2025 -- The Old Guard lives forever, so it’s no surprise that we’re getting a sequel. The story of Andromache of Scythia, aka Andy (Charlize Theron), and her team of immortal mercenaries stormed up the Netflix charts in the summer of 2020, and now you can catch a sneak peek at the follow-up that will reunite the undying warriors on an all-new mission. New first-look photos from The Old Guard 2 have dropped, and you can check them out right here.

“There’s something for everyone in this movie: Fans who loved the first film, fans who love the original graphic novels — and brand-new fans who are looking for insane action, grounded and relatable characters, gorgeous locations, and a global cast of superstars,” Theron told Netflix about the upcoming film, which features some exciting new faces.

“We’re going to meet some brand-new characters,” she teased. “Quyhn is back and her story continues, and we’re all excited to have Uma Thurman and Henry Golding join us as two key new players in the Old Guard universe. Andy and her warriors are back with a renewed sense of purpose. The stakes are even higher now that Andy is mortal and can die — but that certainly won’t keep her out of the action.”

Read on for everything you need to know about The Old Guard 2.

What is The Old Guard 2 about?

Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team of immortal warriors are back, with a renewed sense of purpose in their mission to protect the world. With Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) still in exile after his betrayal, and Quynh (Veronica Ngô) out for revenge after escaping her underwater prison, Andy grapples with her newfound mortality as a mysterious threat emerges that could jeopardize everything she’s worked towards for thousands of years. Andy, Nile (KiKi Layne), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), Nicky (Luca Marinelli) and James Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) enlist the help of Tuah (Henry Golding), an old friend who may provide the key to unlocking the mystery behind immortal existence. Directed by Victoria Mahoney, and also starring Uma Thurman, The Old Guard 2 is an emotional, adrenaline-pumping sequel, based on the world created by Greg Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernandez.

“We ended the first film with some radical changes to the status quo,” Rucka tells Tudum. “Andy’s mortality has mysteriously left her, Nile has become immortal and joined the group, and Booker’s been punished for his sins by being sent into exile, which is pretty much the worst thing you can do to people who live for hundreds and hundreds of years.”

Fans may recall that The Old Guard endswith Copley sharing proof of Andy and her crew’s positive impact on the world. Based on that information, she’s determined to use what time she has left for good. “We come into The Old Guard 2 with Andy on a mission, and one of the questions the second film raises is the legitimacy of that mission,” Rucka says. “What I find most fascinating about these immortal characters is that fundamentally, they all face the same questions we do: ‘What am I doing here? What is the purpose of my life?’ ”

Only one thing’s for certain — the action will be bigger and bolder than ever, and The Old Guard 2 will take you to places you’ve never seen before. “My mandate every time we went out the door to scout was, ‘I do not want to visit any locations, routinely seen as an audience member in a number of my favorite films,’ ” director Victoria Mahoney told Netflix. “I relentlessly pushed toward the unexpected”

Can I see a trailer for The Old Guard 2?

Yes! Watch above as Andy and the crew face off against a new (but very old) foe: Discord, the very first immortal, played by Uma Thurman.

Who’s writing and directing The Old Guard 2?

Victoria Mahoney is directing The Old Guard 2. “During the pandemic, there were a couple of projects I found myself watching and rewatching for a number of reasons, and The Old Guard was one of them,” she said. “There was this beautiful array of characters that had a global sense of appeal with this fusion of drama and action. I couldn’t believe this caliber of actors in one bundle. I wanted desperately to explore their ability to chase story beats inside of action beats.”

Mahoney was handpicked by J.J. Abrams to direct second unit in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. She made her directorial debut with the Golden Bear–nominated feature Yelling to the Sky. She has directed episodes of The Morning Show, Lovecraft Country, You, and most recently, the SUITS LA pilot. Greg Rucka, who wrote the first installment as well as the graphic novels on which the movies are based, is co-writing The Old Guard 2 with Sarah L. Walker.

Is the original Old Guard cast returning for The Old Guard 2?

Nearly the entire cast of the original Old Guard are reprising their roles in the sequel. That means Theron is back as Andy, Layne will once again play Nile, and star-crossed lovers Joe and Nicky (Kenzari and Marinelli, respectively) will live to fight another day. Also returning? Schoenaerts as the, shall we say, loyalty-challenged Booker and Ejiofor as the team’s handler Copley. This time around, Ngô will have a larger role as Andy’s ex-teammate Quynh, who’s spent the last 500 years buried in an underwater cage and repeatedly drowning.

“In the first film. Nile is the newbie. She doesn’t know anything, she is asking a lot of questions,” Layne tells Tudum about her character’s evolution. “In the second film, she’s still asking questions — that’s just who she is, she’s a very curious person — but she’s found her place within the team. We get to witness the things that she may have learned from the team over the months: new skills, new weapons.”

Though The Old Guard often finds Nile and Andy at odds, that dynamic shifts in The Old Guard 2 as Nile takes her place as an immortal in the group.

Layne was beyond excited to reunite with Theron on the film. “Working with Charlize is a dream come true,” she says. “I’m a young actress who is seeking to do more action films, so to work alongside someone who has opened the doors for women in action, I just learn so much from watching her. The things that she understands about storytelling and making a film are incredible. We’ll show up, and she is digging into the script. She is finding ways to make adjustments to make the story stronger and to make it deeper and more meaningful. If I can get a little bit of that gift, I’m going to be all right in my career.”

Are there any new cast members in The Old Guard 2?

Yes! Thurman and Golding have joined the cast. The latter plays Tuah, an enigmatic figure who has been researching the immortals. Golding brought his own personal background to the character, even going as far as helping to name him.

“When Victoria Mahoney and I had our first Zoom call, we went over the character, and originally we didn't have a name for him,” Golding tells Tudum. “That came a little bit later because Vic really wanted to know who I was, and how this character could represent parts of my life. In the end, I suggested his character be called Tuah, which in Malaysian means ‘luck.”

Thurman plays Discord, an immortal who’s even older than Andy and is out for revenge against all humans — and the Old Guard who protect them.

When will The Old Guard 2 be on Netflix?

The Old Guard 2 smashes onto Netflix on July 2. In the meantime, catch up with Andy and the gang in a behind-the-scenes clip below.