Charlize Theron may have aged out of the “Mad Max” prequel, but she’s a badass forever in Netflix’s upcoming action film “The Old Guard.”
The Oscar-winner has traded in a war rig for an ancient battle-ax as the thousand-year-old Andy, aka Andromache the Scythian. She’s the leader of a black-ops group of immortal soldiers who’ve battled good and evil in the shadows throughout the centuries.
Except it’s a little harder to stay under the radar in the age of the smartphone, as the mercenaries have to adapt to the modern-day challenges (no, she will not pose for your selfie!), including the threat of those seeking to weaponize their skills for nefarious purposes.
Joining the team is the newest recruit, U.S. Marine Nile, played by “If Beale Street Could Talk” star Kiki Layne, who also happens to be immortal and just as handy with a weapon.
In the first high-octane trailer released on Monday, a raven-haired Theron flexes her action prowess as she mows down groups of bad guys with her signature flair. A particularly eye-popping sequence has the team getting gunned down by a spray of bullets, only to rise from the dead.
Gina Prince-Bythewood directs the blockbuster, which is based on the comic book series of the same name by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez. It hits the streaming service on July 10.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, Theron underwent months of training to prepare for the role and wield her character’s two-handed battle-ax.
“I’ve never had to do anything like that,” the actor, who tore a tendon in her thumb during filming, told Entertainment Weekly. “You have to learn to fight with that ginormous thing in a way where you don’t kill the person that you’re fighting with.”
The film also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Harry Melling, Marwan Kenzari, Matthias Schoenaerts, Luca Marinelli and Veronica Ngo.
Watch the trailer for “The Old Guard” below.
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