Charlize Theron’s Highlander gets her Kurgan and the casting is perfect.
Remember The Old Guard? The adaptation of Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez’s comic dropped on Netflix back in 2020 and was supposed to be the first in a new franchise but then… crickets, tumbleweeds, and what appeared to be another nascent series planted in whatever the streaming world’s equivalent of Boot Hill is.
But, like its immortal protagonists, it seems The Old Guard wasn’t as dead as it appeared. Now a trailer for The Old Guard 2 has dropped, bringing with it a new villain for Charlize Theron‘s hard-to-kill heroine to battle and… holy shit, you guys, it’s Uma Thurman.
Furiosa. Vs. The Bride. Oh my stars and garters.
Let’s go to the trailer.
If you’re a bit fuzzy on The Old Guard‘s lore, well, it’s Highlander, isn’t it? Just without the decapitation Theron’s Andy (or Andromache of Scythia, as she was known back in the day) leads a team of immortal mercenaries, in the first flick going up against a biotech bro who wanted to unlock the secret of their long lives. The first film ended with Andy’s immortality seemingly having run out, which certainly raises the stakes for the next instalment. And speaking of which, Netflix has a handy synopsis for us:
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.
Now, you’ll note that only says “…also starring Uma Thurman, which is burying the lede a bit. According to Tudum, she’s playing a character named Discord, an ancient immortal with a grudge against all humanity. So, she’s The Kurgan, yeah? And the name has a mythological root in Discordia, the Roman goddess of strife.
Every hero needs a good villain, and Thurman is a hell of a pick. Theron’s action chops are well-established by now after Mad Max: Furiosa, Atomic Blonde, and the Fast and Furious flicks, but Thurman was, of course, The Bride in Tarantino’s Kill Bill, so she’s no slouch in that department. The Old Guard 2 is shaping up to be a real clash of the titans, unless they decide to hold off their confrontation til some hypothetical third film. In which case, we riot.
The Old Guard 2 is on Netflix from July 2, 2025.
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