Charlize Theron is an immortal warrior in the first images from The Old Guard movie. An adaptation of the comic book by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández, the film follows a group of centuries-old immortal mercenaries as they fight to protect themselves after their secret is discovered. Theron is joined in the cast by up and comers like KiKi Layne (If Beale Street Could Talk) and Marwen Kenzari (Aladdin), as well as character actors Matthias Schoenaerts (Far From the Madding Crowd) and Luca Marinelli (Trust) as fellow immortal superheroes. Rounding out the cast is Chiwetel Ejiofor as the CIA historian who uncovers the warriors’ true identities and Harry Melling (aka. Dudley from Harry Potter) as a pharmaceutical executive keen to capture the team and harvest whatever gives them their abilities.
Behind the camera, Rucka wrote the script for The Old Guard, with Gina Prince-Bythewood directing. The acclaimed filmmaker, whose credits include Love & Basketball and the pilot for Marvel’s Cloak & Dagger TV show, joined the project in 2018, shortly after her planned Silver Sable and Black Cat movie at Sony hit a snag. With the movie set to stream this summer on Netflix, its marketing is getting fully underway.
Vanity Fair has the first-look images from The Old Guard, which you can check out in the gallery below. Theron also spoke to the outlet about her approach to playing a character who’s been around for thousands of years by the time the movie begins:
It was important to feel the weight of thousands and thousands of years on her. The worst part for her is just feeling like she’s not doing anything. So what is the point, you know? She’s lost faith, not just in herself but in humanity. I think a lot of people can relate to that at this moment in time. We go through periods in life where we just look at the world and go, ‘Oh my God…’ You just feel like you’re pushing a rock up a mountain.
Judging by Theron’s comment, The Old Guard will deal with themes of regret and legacy, much like James Mangold did in Logan. The parallels between the films don’t end there; in addition to revolving around a disillusioned, long-lived superhero ((Theron’s warrior, who was born Andromache of Scythia), they both involve unscrupulous individuals trying to exploit super-powered individuals for the abilities, and a younger character (Layne’s U.S. marine Nile Freeman, who discovers her powers after being killed in combat) who challenges the world-weary protagonist and their outlook. However, in this case, it sounds like The Old Guard has the potential to kick off a new franchise, not end one. It’s the latest action-thriller from Netflix in that vein, following Michael Bay’s 6 Underground and, most recently, the Russo Brothers-produced Extraction.
On paper, The Old Guard sounds like a promising blend of premise, cast, and filmmaker. It’s also the type of thriller audiences generally turn out to see in the summer, making it perfect for its planned release on July 10. With theaters closed because of the coronavirus pandemic and every stuck at home self-quarantining, enough people checked out Extraction last month to make it Netflix’s biggest debut yet. The Old Guard might not fly quite as high, but Theron has long proven to be a big draw at the box office and could power the film to some impressive viewer numbers. And while theater chains are hoping to begin reopening in July, many will probably elect to stay-in at the start of the month and watch something like the newest Netflix blockbuster offering, even if that happens.
The Old Guard streams on Netflix this summer beginning Friday, July 10.
