2025 marked a long-awaited return to action movies forUma Thurman. Although the actress is not traditionally a fixture in major blockbusters, she still delivered arguably one of her best and most iconic performances in this genre thanks to Quentin Tarantino’sKill Bill: Vol. 1andKill Bill: Vol. 2.
Her portrayal as the deadly Bride left a lasting impression on pop culture, ranging from her recognizable yellow jumpsuit to her impressive fight scenes. As two ofUma Thurman’s best movies, this was the type of role that teased how incredible it would be if she continued to explore this genre and kick butt in other action roles.
Yet, that is not what happened.In the 20 years afterKill Bill: Vol. 2’s release, Thurman did not star in a single action movie, even as she did just about every other genre imaginable. Her hiatus only built up greater expectations for whatever action movie could convince her to play a part.
So while thewait forKill Bill 3continued, the news that she’d be inThe Old Guard 2opposite Charlize Theron created a lot of excitement. The 2025 film marks her return to action, which makes the end result all the more disappointing.
Uma Thurman Is Totally Wasted In The Old Guard 2
Despite being an icon of the action genre, there’s something about Uma Thurman’s new role inThe Old Guard 2that doesn’t feel as exciting or compelling as some of her previous characters. She plays the villainous Discord, a dangerous immortal who rescues Andy’s old friend from the depths of the sea and uses her for her own nefarious plans.
AlthoughThe Old Guard 2does a good job of establishing Discord as a reasonable threat,the actress simply isn’t given enough screen timeto leave much of an impact. She barely even makes an appearance until the film’s final act, which basically just serves as a teaser forthe prospectiveOld Guard 3.
It also doesn’t help that Discord is clearly overshadowed by Quynh asThe Old Guard 2’s most compelling villain. The extensive history between Andy and Quynh gives their conflict a personal edge that’s totally missing from Discord’s character, whom Andy has never even heard of before the events of this sequel. She’s the dangerous puppetmaster, but her puppets are so much more interesting.
It’s clear that ashowdown between Charlize Theron and Uma Thurman is onThe Old Guard’shorizon, butthe recent sequel doesn’t give audiences any reason to careabout what happens to the villain. The movie spends so much time explaining the mechanics of immortality, spoon-feeding the audience all the details they need, that by the time Discord and Andy finally meet, their encounter feels rushed.
Uma Thurman does a good job with the little material she’s given, but that’s not satisfying enough. Her commanding screen presence ensures that viewers know Discord isn’t somebody to be messed with, and her hand-to-hand combat scenes are very reminiscent of her work inKill Billand similar action spectacles.
While this proves to be a waste ofUma Thurman’s action return, it does suggest she’s still more than capable of being a star in the genre. So ifThe Old Guard 3doesn’t eventually capitalize on her potential, another action film should look to bring her aboard.
