The Old Guard: Charlize Theron Reflects on the Film’s Netflix Success

The world of blockbuster movies has shifted pretty wildly over the past year, with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the traditional theatrical experience. As a result, the roster of films that audiences were treated to last year dwindled pretty significantly — but some major movies were able to make an impact. Among them was The Old Guard, which arrived on Netflix last summer and quickly became incredibly popular for the streamer. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, The Old Guard star Charlize Theron spoke about the film’s runaway success, and argued that the film was perfectly suited for the world of 2020.

“Somehow it was meant to come out in [2020],” Theron explained. “And it was meant to just be on people’s TVs. In the end, that’s why I think it was so successful. It thematically speaks to things that people were going through. And so part of me is like, ‘So what if it wasn’t on a big screen?’ I’m not mad at the fact that probably more people saw The Old Guard than any other movie that I’ve ever made, outside of Fast & Furious, in a theater.”

In The Old Guard, led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (KiKi Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights), The Old Guard is a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks.

While a sequel to The Old Guard has yet to officially be confirmed, it sounds like the cast and crew are very open to the possibility.

“Yeah, certainly,” Rucka revealed in an interview last year. “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.”

The Old Guard is now available to stream on Netflix.