AsThe Old Guard 2trends on Netflix’s top charts, Charlize Theron is uncertain thatThe Old Guard 3will happen. The 2025 release served as the follow-up to Theron’s 2020 action movie, which was a huge hit for Netflix and received strong reviews, currently sitting at 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.
After waiting five years for the next installment, Theron’s return as Andy inThe Old Guard 2has been a more divisive entry in the franchise. It only has a 22% score on Rotten Tomatoes with critics, and the audience score is not much better, 36%. Yet,The Old Guard 2’s endingleaves audiences in need of a third film.
Netflix has yet to announce any plans forThe Old Guard 3, and Charlize Theron is not certain that it will happen. In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter, which was conducted beforeThe Old Guard 2’s release, the franchise star shared an update on where a third film stands and what she knows about it.
Never confident, no. One thing I’ve learned in this business is that there are no guarantees, and it’s really gracious of [Netflix] to not have pushed us into another direction. This was always where we wanted to land the film, and it’s also very reminiscent of the first one. So we treated this one exactly the same, but I’m being completely honest when I say that we have absolutely no idea what that [third film] would even look like.
What This Means For The Old Guard 3
It’s Status Remains Unclear
It’s clear from Charlize Theron’s comments thatthere was no early movement onThe Old Guard 3ahead ofThe Old Guard 2’s release. Her comments show how she’s learned not to count on getting sequels to films before they are announced, as other franchises she has been part of have not always continued on.
Netflix’s decision to allowThe Old Guard 2to end on such a cliffhanger without plans for a third film solidified is surprising. Viewers who have watched the sequel are left without a proper conclusion to the story. Now, ifThe Old Guard 3does not happen, Andy’s story will feel incomplete.
It may have been better for the film to end in a more complete place as they sort out what comes next for the franchise. When evenTheron is talking about how she doesn’t know what the third film would be about or look like, it’s apparent that a grand vision for this series does not inherently exist.
While Theron’s caution aboutThe Old Guard 3is understandable, it’ll be interesting to see how the current reception impacts the threequel’s chances of happening. The critical response is a huge drop from its predecessor, but the sequel has still been a big hit for Netflix.The Old Guard 2was the #1 movie on the servicewhen it debuted and racked up 37.5 million views in its first week.
Our Take On The Old Guard 3’s Chances
Will It Happen?
The fate ofThe Old Guard 3is ultimately up to Netflix, and it may take some time for a decision to be made. Netflix took over a year to greenlightThe Old Guard 2officially, which gave them enough time to figure out who would direct it and start to align filming schedules.
The streamer should take its time to figure out ifThe Old Guard 3is a movie that audiences are really clamoring for. The early viewership is promising, as the 37.5 million views so far stacks up well against its predecessor. For reference,The Old Guardreceived 78 million views in its first four weeks of release viaVariety.
The Old Guard 2 has dropped to 5th place in Netflix’s Top 10 Movies In The U.S. Today as of this writing
IfThe Old Guard 2’s viewership ends up coming close to or exceeding the performance of the original movie, it would make sense for Netflix to greenlight another. Theron is interested in doingThe Old Guard 3, too, so Netflix’s likely interest in staying in business with one of Hollywood’s biggest stars could also help the threequel eventually get made.
