Who needs Marvel? Netflix has its own gritty, R-rated version of The Avengers

The immortals are back — and they’re bleeding, bruised, and ready for war.

Netflix dropped a trailer today for The Old Guard 2, the long-awaited sequel to its 2020 hit about a covert team of ageless warriors who fight humanity’s battles from the shadows. And if this first footage is any indication, the team of superheroes this time around is going full beast mode — more emotion, more betrayal, more chaos, and way more blades to the face.

In its continuation of The Old Guard saga, this is also Netflix doing something Marvel rarely dares: Going full throttle on moral ambiguity, emotional scars, and blood-slicked combat that feels earned. These aren’t charming, quippy heroes with a clean-cut moral code. This team is tired, haunted, and tangled in centuries of regret and loss. Immortality here isn’t a gimmick — it’s a burden, one that slowly hollows you out while the world keeps asking for more. The vibe is less “save the day” and more “try to live with yourself after you do.”

In this rare Netflix movie franchise that's actually worth watching, there are no capes, no billion-dollar tech, and no multiverse mumbo jumbo. Instead, The Old Guard delivers something raw, unvarnished, and gloriously R-rated — a superhero team forged not in fanfare, but in centuries of suffering. Charlize Theron returns in the sequel as Andy, the battle-hardened leader who’s spent thousands of years watching the people she loves die (and who's also lost her immortality).

The team’s already fractured when a new global threat surfaces, one that might finally crack the code behind their immortality — and destroy them all.

Newcomers to the fray include Henry Golding as Tuah, a ghost from Andy’s past who may hold answers they’ve been chasing for centuries, and Uma Thurman as… well, someone I'm not sure yet whether we should trust, but can't wait to watch.

This franchise, based on the graphic novels by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández, has always felt to me like a secret weapon in Netflix’s feature film arsenal — a rare blend of mythic world-building and character-driven storytelling, anchored by one of the most compelling, diverse action ensembles around. It’s Netflix’s answer to The Avengers, if The Avengers were centuries-old warriors with trust issues, trauma, and a kill count that spans civilizations.

The Old Guard 2 hits the streaming giant on July 2. It promises a blood-soaked reckoning packed with heartbreak, vengeance, and battle scars that don’t heal — even if the bodies do. 

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Who needs Marvel? Netflix has its own gritty, R-rated version of The Avengers originally appeared on BGR.com on Thu, 8 May 2025 at 21:50:35 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.