Charlize Theron on playing a 6,000-year-old immortal in 'The Old Guard'

'The Old Guard' starring Charlize Theron will be released on July 10, 2020. Photo: Netflix

In The Old Guard, Charlize Theron plays a warrior and leader of elite fighters with the ability to heal and not die.

For centuries, Theron’s character – known as Andy – has been using her gift to protect mankind. But sometimes, things just don’t work out the way she expected them to as there are still a lot of wrong going on in the world today including war and unrest.

Set in present day, we see Andy feeling tired and with little will to go on living ... having done everything, seen everything and experienced everything.

In a telephone interview with the 44-year-old actress, who also serves as the film producer, Theron said this about playing Andy.

“Obviously she comes with a lot of baggage. She's lived for 6,000 years. She's experienced a lot and she, you know, have done things that I obviously cannot relate to.

“Therefore, (to play her) I needed to find the things that I could relate to her. I felt like if I could relate to them, I knew the audience would relate to them. And that was just the exhaustion of life and the exhaustion of what the world has become. So, I kind of lived in that space (while portraying Andy).”

The Old Guard is based on the 2017 graphic novel series by Greg Rucka, who also wrote the film's screenplay. Besides Theron, the film stars Kiki Layne, Chiwetel Ejiofor Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Harry Melling, Van Veronica Ngo and Matthias Schoenaerts.

It will be available on Netflix on July 10.