Why The Old Guard 2 Ends on a Cliffhanger Explained by Director

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In a recent interview, Victoria Mahoney, director of “The Old Guard 2,” discussed the surprising finale in the latest film, which follows Charlize Theron as its lead character. This new movie is actually a follow-up to the 2020 release titled “The Old Guard,” and both films are inspired by the Image Comics series written by Greg Rucka and illustrated by Leandro Fernández. Rucka himself wrote the screenplay for the first film and collaborated on the script for the sequel, as well.

Victoria Mahoney on why a cliffhanger ending was chosen for The Old Guard 2

In an exciting chat with The Direct, I shared that we intentionally left The Old Guard 2 on a thrilling cliffhanger. My team and I wanted viewers to feel a sense of awe, optimism, and pure joy as they concluded their watch. As the story unfolds, Matthias Schoenaerts’ Booker meets a tragic end, while Uma Thurman’s Discord manages to escape with our team members, including Charlize Theron’s Andromache “Andy” of Scythia in tow. But just before the credits kick in, there’s a glimmer of hope – Andy and Veronica Ngô’s Quynh patch things up and vow to save their friends!

Mahoney recollected numerous conversations revolving around our exit strategy. The most powerful feeling we wanted to evoke in the audience was pondered. To a certain extent, the conclusion we chose provokes a sense of awe, optimism, and delight, as she further explained.

Gina Prince-Bythewood (known for “Love & Basketball”) was the director for the first feature. For the sequel, Mahoney took over as director. According to her, while the three emotions she mentioned aren’t the only crucial elements for an ending, they can create something that positively impacts people in a meaningful way at this particular moment. She emphasized that she didn’t wish for a bleak, emotionally taxing ending in a film like this at the present time.

Mahoney expressed that the pivotal moment between the characters held significant value for her. She further noted, “I found the performance of those two actors in that particular scene captivating, and I appreciate the way it’s edited, which makes me feel the same way every time I rewatch it.

The Old Guard 2 is available for streaming on Netflix.

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2025-07-04 08:40