{"id":20382,"date":"2025-06-28T00:02:07","date_gmt":"2025-06-28T00:02:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/20382\/"},"modified":"2025-06-28T00:02:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-28T00:02:07","slug":"the-old-guard-2-cast-on-making-a-sequel-that-bleeds-thinks-and-fights-harder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/20382\/","title":{"rendered":"‘The Old Guard 2’ Cast on Making a Sequel That Bleeds, Thinks, and Fights Harder"},"content":{"rendered":"

On July 2, Netflix and Skydance will finally unleash The Old Guard 2<\/a>, the long-awaited sequel to the 2020 action hit starring Charlize Theron as an immortal warrior protecting humanity.<\/a> Ahead of the release, io9 caught up with returning stars KiKi Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Marwan Kenzari, as well as franchise newcomer Henry Golding (Crazy Rich Asians, Snake Eyes), to talk about stepping back into the brutal, secretive world of the Image Comics universe<\/a> and what it took to bring its next chapter to life.<\/p>\n

Isaiah Colbert, io9: Nile\u2019s evolution from a wide-eyed recruit to a seasoned immortal takes center stage in this movie. What aspects of her growth\u2014whether through the grit of her action sequences or the deepening bonds with her team\u2014were the most rewarding for you to bring to life?<\/strong><\/p>\n

KiKi Layne: <\/strong>For sure Nile\u2019s growth physically. The stunts I got to do, the choreography, having a weapon, that was really fun to push my physicality to new levels for the second film. That was definitely the highlight for me for Nile\u2019s journey this time around.<\/p>\n

io9: Joe and Nicky\u2019s bond continues to anchor the heart of this story. How did you and Luca Marinelli navigate the evolution of their dynamic, balancing their centuries-old intimacy with a renewed sense of purpose as they face the film\u2019s escalating threats together?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marwan Kenzari: <\/strong>To be honest with you, we are developing our friendship off-set. We\u2019re talking constantly. If [Marinelli] is in his trailer, I\u2019ll visit him. We\u2019ll sit and spend an hour or two together talking about so many different things and aspects of life that we, ultimately, automatically brought that [with us] when the camera\u2019s rolling. That\u2019s just a gift that we have. We don\u2019t have to pretend that we love each other. I genuinely love this man. That makes it a lot easier to do the job.<\/p>\n

io9:<\/strong> Since the first film, Copley has transformed from a reluctant ally to a mortal fighting shoulder to shoulder with immortals as an integral member of the crew. How did stepping into that more physically demanding role\u2014while still carrying the weight of his humanity\u2014challenge or deepen your performance this time around?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chiwetel Ejiofor: <\/strong>I enjoyed it. In the first one, I was a little bummed that I was standing on the edge of all the action. They got to get involved [and] have all the fun. I was really excited when I was reading the script, and it was like, \u201cOh, Copley gets into this now?\u201d That\u2019s great. He needs a tap on the shoulder sometimes\u2014people tell him he\u2019s not immortal, too. I love the idea of him\u2014not just in the technical sense\u2014helping the team organize and deal with the operations using his skillset. The actual getting onto the field and really getting stuck in is a really great addition to Copley\u2019s character.<\/p>\n

io9:<\/strong> Tuah marks your entry into an ensemble stacked with action heavyweights. Coming off your lead role in Snake Eyes, you\u2019re no stranger to intense choreography, but how did you find your rhythm within this team? And were there any moments on set that reminded you just how physically demanding The Old Guard\u2019s world can be in comparison to G.I. Joe\u2018s?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Henry Golding: <\/strong>I was a big fan of the first film. I think that opening sequence down in the kill room was phenomenal. It was action that we hadn\u2019t really seen. The design of it was so visceral. I knew we were going to bring back some of the choreography. Sadly, I didn\u2019t get as much as I\u2019d love to, but what I did get was so much fun to be a part of. The great thing about The Old Guard is the balance. The real story is the human aspect of living as an immortal. The action is the consequence of the world around them. Finding that balance is crucial. It was absolutely fun to get stuck in.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

io9: This film has had a longer road to release than expected, with delays and reshoots delaying its timeline. <\/strong>In the face of those production challenges, what helped you all rally as a cast and crew to keep the energy and focus alive, and your connections to your characters?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ejiofor:\u00a0<\/strong>Films take the time they take. As an actor and a cast, you\u2019re always excited to get involved. We\u2019re familiar with these characters now in a way where it\u2019s not\u00a0easy, but it\u2019s okay to jump back in. We\u2019re always able to jump back into stuff, and I think everyone understands that making films is complex. Sometimes they take a little bit longer, and you\u2019ve got to figure out how to do that, and that\u2019s great.<\/p>\n

io9: The combat in The Old Guard 2 aims to be more intense and personal. How did you all prepare for sequences this time around?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kenzari: <\/strong>As Chiwetel mentioned, it\u2019s a part of your muscle memory. The choreography that the stunt team comes up with, you go through them, and you get better at them\u2014you increase speed. It\u2019s a fun part of the pre-production of a shooting day where, at the end of it, you just want to master the choreography as good as you can. That\u2019s the way we prepped part one, and that\u2019s the same way we worked on [part two]\u2014it\u2019s just that the choreography is different and more than what we had in the first one.<\/p>\n

\u00a0io9: If you could pit any iconic action movie stars against each other in an immortal vs. immortal fight like Charlize Theron and Uma Thurman, who would you like to see square off?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kenzari:<\/strong> Good question.<\/p>\n

Layne:<\/strong> Uma versus Charlize is pretty up there.<\/p>\n

Ejiofor: <\/strong>Atomic Blonde against Predator Arnie. That\u2019s what I\u2019d like to see\u2014hand to hand. Put the guns away.<\/p>\n

Kenzari:<\/strong> Predator Arnie is good.<\/p>\n

Golding:<\/strong> I like that.<\/p>\n

Kenzari:<\/strong> Skin on skin.<\/p>\n

Everyone: <\/strong>(laughs)<\/p>\n

Ejiofor:<\/strong> Damn.<\/p>\n

Golding:<\/strong> How do you beat that? Next question.<\/p>\n

Kenzari:<\/strong> Does Home Alone count as an actor?<\/p>\n

Everyone:<\/strong> (laughs)<\/p>\n

io9: It\u2019s been five years since fans first met the Guard. What do you each hope audiences take away from this chapter, not only to satisfy that long wait but to remind them why this story was worth holding onto?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kenzari: <\/strong>The whole mortality, immortality element is a huge highway in the arch of the storytelling in this one. I think that is the question, even with us in the last few days of interviews. It\u2019s the question that keeps coming back: What would you rather have [in] either one of these two? So much in the movie is about that fragile, sensitive aspect of people healing and not healing\u2014dying and not being able to die\u2014is something that the audience will think about after the movie finishes.<\/p>\n

Ejiofor:<\/strong> I think they\u2019re great characters, and I think that\u2019s what you\u2019ll remember and have missed\u2014these really great characters and this incredible team. And there are things to think about. There are philosophical questions in there and deep emotional resonances with their history. There\u2019s a lot there.<\/p>\n

The Old Guard 2 premieres on Netflix July 2.<\/p>\n

\n

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel<\/a>, Star Wars<\/a>, and Star Trek<\/a> releases, what\u2019s next for the DC Universe on film and TV<\/a>, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On July 2, Netflix and Skydance will finally unleash The Old Guard 2, the long-awaited sequel to the…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":20383,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[18981,171,53,4659,18982,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-20382","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-charlize-theron","9":"tag-entertainment","10":"tag-movies","11":"tag-netflix","12":"tag-the-old-guard-2","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114758060946813846","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20382"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20382\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}