Marvel and DC have always had a joint monopoly on live-action superhero productions, but once in a while, good movies and TV shows that aren’t associated with the two brands come out. Netflix hit movie The Old Guard,—which is based on a comic series of the same name—belongs to that category.
Despite the fact that comic creator Greg Rucka wrote the movie’s screenplay, there are a couple of differences between the story on paper and the story on screen. Not surprising given that the screenplay is said to have been rewritten three times. Here’s what’s the same, and what’s different between source material and film
10 Kept: Copley Betraying Merrick
In both the film and the comics, former CIA operative Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) pretends to be a friend to Andy and her team at first but it is later revealed that he is working for the villain Merrick. Soon, he realizes the error of his ways and decides to betray Merrick.
The immortals spare him in both the comics and the film. His reason for cutting ties with Merrick are similar too, He isn’t cut out for the blatant greed and cruelty that Merrick embodies. Though the film adds a smaller detail by making Copley choose to honor his wife’s memory by doing more good than bad.
9 Changed: Quynh’s ‘Death’
In the movie, Quynh gets placed in what appears to be an Iron Maiden device and tossed to the bottom of the sea. She remains trapped there for about 500 years. At the end of the film, she is seen again, suggesting that she has resurrected.
In the comics, her death is caused by a storm. She isn’t deliberately drowned. According to screenwriter Greg Rucka, the change was made to save money. Apparently, the storm scene from the comics would have cost too much.
8 Kept: The Dream
In the movie, U.S. Marine Nile Freeman gets targeted by an enemy soldier in Afghanistan who slits her throat. As expected, she recovers seconds later. When she wakes up, she has a strange dream that makes the other immortals aware she exists.
Andy then tracks her down to grab her just before the military can take her to Germany to perform tests on her. This is exactly the same way that the immortals find out about Nile in the comics too. She has a dream, forcing Andy to swoop in and take her just in time.
7 Changed: Andy Losing Her Immortality
Despite Andy being immortal at the beginning of the film, she lost her immortality somewhere between, leading to an intense third act where she had to fight hard to keep herself alive. At some point during a gun battle, the other immortals had to use their bodies to prevent Andy from getting hit as they also fired at the enemy.
The vulnerability helped Andy understand humanity better. This could be best seen when a stranger helped her patch up a stab wound. However, in all the installments of the comics, there wasn’t a single time when Andy lost her immortality.
6 Kept: The Fight Scenes
They obviously appear better on screen thanks to the choreography but most of the fight scenes happen exactly as they do in the comics. This includes the memorable one between Andy and Nile in the plane. Apparently, 3000 takes were needed for that specific scene.
The same baddies that get killed in battle in the comics are the same ones that get killed in the movie. The comics actually allocate plenty of illustrations to the action scenes, making them look as realistic as possible.
5 Changed: Joe’s Love Declaration
The film’s best relationship is that of the LGBTQ couple, Joe and Nicky. When Joe gets taunted and asked whether Nicky truly is his boyfriend, Joe gives a classic response by saying that “boyfriend” is not a good enough way to describe Nicky. As beautiful as the moment is, it is even better in the comics.
In the comics, Joe describes Nicky in a poetic manner, saying things like “his very thoughts make music of the mundane.” If viewers want to relish the experience of that scene a bit more, they should probably check out the comics.
4 Kept: Ripple Effect
In The Old Guard‘s third act, it is revealed through Copley’s discovery, that whenever the group uses their powers to do good, there is a larger ripple effect in the rest of the world. For example, there’s a new major medical discovery or the disappearance of a natural disaster that had been predicted to occur.
This revelation happens in the comics too, only that it’s in the second volume, not the first volume that the film is based on. Given that there were a number of rewrites to the screenplay, the decision to bring the revelation forward was probably made in the last stages.
3 Changed: Quynh’s Name And Nationality
Veronica Ngo’s character Quynh was a memorable but she isn’t exactly as she was in the comics. First, her nationality was changed from Japanese to Vietnamese. Second, her name in the comics was actually Noriko (a Japanese name).
The changes were actually requested by Ngo, Since she is Vietnamese, she asked Rucka if the character’s name and nationality could be switched to suit her Vietnamese heritage. Rucka wasn’t sure about that, so he asked the director. Luckily, she agreed to the switch because it wouldn’t affect the plot in any major way.
2 Kept: Booker’s Betrayal
When Booker and Andy meet Copley in the later stages of the move, Booker betrays her and wounds her. He later regrets it because he thought she would heal quickly but she just so happens to have lost her immortality.
Booker is punished for his betrayal by being banished from the group for 100 years. The group then meets Copley who informs them of the ripple effect. This plays out similarly in the comics though it also happens a bit later.
1 Changed: Steve Merrick’s Personality And Physical Appearance
Steve Merrick was more of a corporate villain in the movie. He’s a pharma billionaire who is keen on capturing Andy and her team so that he can conduct experiments on their bodies. He just so happens to have an army of goons to which he relies on to defend him,
In the comics, Merrick is a proper good too. He is buff and tattooed up. He is a skilled fighter who constantly intimidates his henchmen by doing push-ups during meetings. And when he first meets Joe and Nicky, he even stabs them for fun just to see if they’ll die.
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