The Old Guard ending explained: What was the cost of Booker's betrayal to his team? 

The Old Guard is an action-fantasy film that introduces the viewers to the fictional team of immortals, led by Andy. They use their abilities and embark on high-stakes missions, fighting for what they deem to be right. The film explores how the team rushes to stop the misuse of their abilities and bring an end to the evil plans of Merrick Pharmaceuticals that aim to replicate their immortality for others.

As Copley and Merrick kidnap two immortals, Nicky and Joe, Andy's rescue plan is sabotaged as Booker had sided with Copley. Due to Booker's betrayal, the entire team gets under Merrick's evil control as he plans to keep them forever and replicate their immortality medically.

Towards the end, the team manages to escape with the help of Nile and forge a brave attack on Merrick and his men, bringing an end to them all.

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The Old Guard ending explained: How does Booker's betrayal bring the team under threat?

A still from The Old Guard (Image via Netflix)

In The Old Guard, Andromache the Scythian, a.k.a. Andy, has been living on Earth since time centuries, being one of the mysterious immortals. Along with a small team of other immortals she finds later, she accomplishes life-threatening missions with her strength and regenerative abilities. Her team includes Nicky, Joe, and Booker.

As the team finds a new immortal, Nile, after years, ex-CIA agent James Copley and Merrick Pharmaceuticals' CEO, Steven Merrick, learn about their secret and set out to capture them to recreate their powers medically.

In an attempt to take the entire team under them, Copley and Merrick send in forces who successfully capture Nicky and Joe. Andy remains guilty of failing one of the first immortals and her close pal, Quynh, and thus sets out to bring back Nicky and Joe at all costs. However, her plans shatter to dust as it is revealed that Booker had joined hands with Copley.

Believing it to bring an end to their lonely and tiring immortality, Booker betrays his team for Merrick and Copley's plan. However, both Booker and Copley soon realise that Merrick was driven by monetary desires, not wanting to bring any medical breakthrough. He plans to keep Andy, Nicky, Joe, and Booker with him forever, minting money through their immortality.

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Do Andy and her team escape Merrick's evil plans?

A still from The Old Guard (Image via Netflix)

Nile, whose immortality was not known to Merrick and Copley yet, comes to rescue the other four immortals. She is helped by Copley, who has a change of heart when he sees Merrick's dark side.

Nile manages to come in time to Merrick Pharmaceuticals and helps the other immortals to escape. The entire team finds out about Andy's shocking loss of immortality. After learning about Booker's betrayal, they become skeptical about the 'traitor', but eventually take him along to fight Merrick together.

An intense fight unfolds between the team and Merrick's men. In the end, they manage to defeat the evil, with Nile killing Merrick through a brave jump from the building. The team can save the day and escape in time, saving their immortal identity from the world.

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The Old Guard ends with a shocking return of an unexpected character

A still from The Old Guard (Image via Netflix)

The team, after their successful mission against Merrick, escapes to safety together. However, Booker's betrayal is still not forgotten by the team. They sit together to decide what would be the best course of action in response to what Booker did. They collectively decide to send him into 100 years of exile, punishing him with loneliness for a century until he joins back.

Andy, Nicky, Joe, and Nile join hands with Copley as he discloses his study about them to the four. They decide to seek his help for their future missions, asking him to help them stay covert and take up meaningful tasks through his expertise.

As the movie comes to an end, the viewers are taken six months ahead in time. Booker is shown leading a lonely life in Paris. As he returns home, he is welcomed by Quynh, one of the initial immortals alongside Andy.

Her return is unexpected as she had been accused of witchcraft in the past and drowned in the sea, encased in an iron maiden. She could not be found by Andy despite several attempts, and her return sets up the stage for The Old Guard 2, which came out recently.

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Watch The Old Guard and The Old Guard 2 on Netflix.