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After a long wait extended by leadership changes at Netflix, fans of the 2020 film “The Old Guard” finally received the sequel they had been anticipating in 2025. “The Old Guard 2” has become a major success for Netflix as of this writing, premiering at the top of the streamer’s most-watched chart upon release. This demonstrates that audiences remain intrigued by the adventures of Andy (Charlize Theron) and her immortal team, but will there be a third installment?

The possibility of a third film largely hinges on the long-term performance of “The Old Guard 2,” though fans still have numerous questions about the franchise’s future. What challenges might impede the production of a third movie? Which cast members are expected to return if another film is approved? And what have the cast and crew commented regarding an additional entry in the “Old Guard” saga? Here’s what we know.

If you’re a fan of “The Old Guard” and its sequel, you’ve likely wondered why there hasn’t been any official news about a third film yet. A partial explanation for this could be the lukewarm critical reception of “The Old Guard 2.” While fans adored “The Old Guard” and critics were even more supportive, with an audience score of 70% and a critical rating of 80% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a “generally favorable” score of 70 on Metacritic, the sequel did not receive the same level of acclaim.

Viewers and critics were not happy about how “The Old Guard 2” turned out. It has a telling 37% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and the pro reviews are even more damning: The sequel has a lowly 24% on the Tomatometer. On Metacritic, it’s classed as “mixed or average” with a rating of 44, but the user rating paints a grim picture at just 3.9, which puts it in the “generally unfavorable” category. There was also a drop in IMDb scores: The first film has a 6.7 rating, while the sequel has a 5.1.

However, none of this has stopped people from streaming “The Old Guard 2” on Netflix. The film dropped on July 2, 2025, and, as of this writing on July 9, it’s the most popular film on Netflix, holding the top spot on the streaming giant’s global and American charts. This bodes well for a third film. The powers that be are likely waiting for the dust to settle before making a decision on whether or not to continue the franchise. Fans will have to hope that the streaming figures outweigh the negative reviews.

While promoting “The Old Guard 2,” star Charlize Theron discussed the possibility of another installment in the franchise, though she was unable to shed much light on how likely it is to happen. “I’m being completely honest when I say that we have absolutely no idea what that [third film] would even look like,” Theron told The Hollywood Reporter. She also told Variety that everyone involved needed some time to rest. “We’re going to take a break, take a little breather, and then we’ll come back and decide,” she said.

Henry Golding (Tuah) and Marwan Kenzari (Joe) both expressed a desire to reprise their roles in a third outing during an interview with Decider, with the latter saying, “I think we just all hope that we [get a sequel] as fast as we can. We don’t need a lot of excuses to hang out, on set, and off.” If he gets his wish, he’ll be working under a different director, as “The Old Guard 2” helmer Victoria Mahoney has confirmed that she’ll be too busy to take on another entry. “The duration of this film took me from other projects I have, so I am legally obliged to some other projects,” Mahoney told The Direct. “So, I will be for the next six, seven years, on some other jobs.”

The good news is that Greg Rucka, who co-created the comic books the movies were based on, is keen to see another film get made. In an exclusive “Old Guard” interview with Looper, the comic book veteran said: “There is a complete three-part story that can be told and, God willing if it’s a success, Netflix comes back and says, ‘Hey, let’s do it again.’ There’s more to tell, and there’s questions that we want to answer.”

Contains spoilers for “The Old Guard 2”

“The Old Guard 2” ends on an enormous cliffhanger, with much of Andy’s team being captured by Discord (Uma Thurman). Discord has lost her immortality and thinks that Nile (KiKi Layne) is a conduit for regaining it. Discord stabs Andy in the heart and uses the time she has gained to run off with Nile, Tuah, Joe, and Nicky (Luca Marinelli) as her captives. Only the now-mortal Quỳnh (Veronica Ngô) has been spared. She reconciles with a healing Andy. Together, they vow to bring in Discord and save the rest of the team.

A third film would follow Quỳnh and Andy as they attempt to rescue their friends. They would also be forced to deal with the aftermath of the death of Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), who sacrifices himself in Andy’s name. If you want to know more about what’s likely to happen in “The Old Guard 3” should it get made, you can always pick up the graphic novels. They were released in three chapters, with the third — “The Old Guard: Tales Through Time” — taking place across six issues. The first two films, based on “The Old Guard: Opening Fire” and “The Old Guard: Force Multiplied,” were pretty faithful to the source material, so it stands to reason that a threequel would more or less follow the events of “The Old Guard: Tales Through Time.”

As the project is yet to be greenlit, there are no confirmed cast members for “The Old Guard 3” yet. The obvious returning faces would be Uma Thurman as Discord, KiKi Layne as Nile, Charlize Theron as Andy, Veronica Ngô as Quỳnh, Marwan Kenzari as Joe, Henry Golding as Tuah, and Luca Marinelli as Nicky. All of these characters are left with incomplete arcs by the end of “The Old Guard 2.” At the very least, Theron and Thurman would have to return for the story to work.

Naturally, new actors might be added to the group. In fact, this is highly likely given that “The Old Guard: Tales Through Time,” the third chapter in the graphic novel series, takes more of an anthology approach. There are a few distinct stories that introduce new characters, some of them major. If the third film was to merge some or all of these tales together in some fashion, a fresh crop of talent would need to be added to the cast.

If you still haven’t seen the second film, check out our “The Old Guard 2” recap video before you sit down to stream it on Netflix.