Perhaps that also has to do with the quality of “The Old Guard 2,” which feels like a step down from the first movie, which provided much-needed escapism in the summer of 2020 as we met Theron’s Andromache the Scythian (Andy, for short) and welcomed KiKi Layne’s new immortal Nile.

Charlize Theron, who will hit a birthday milestone this summer, is back as axe-wielding superhero Andy in the Netflix action sequel "The Old Guard 2."

Marvel has tricked the cinematic world into thinking that action movies should—and can effectively be—helmed by directors with little to no action experience. The latest example of this dreary 21st-century trend is The Old Guard 2,