We don’t yet know a lot about Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Golden Circle, the sequel to the dapper 2014 spy thriller Kingsman: The Secret Service. But as production gets ready to begin later this year, we’re at least starting to get a clearer picture as to who will be involved.
The usual suspects — as in, the characters who clearly survived the first film — will be back. This includes Taron Egerton as the brash young agent Eggsy and Mark Strong as Merlin. Edward Holcroft, who played the weasel Charlie, will also return. Though for the life of my I can’t remember if Charlie made it out of Samuel L. Jackson’s doomsday bunker in the first film. I guess he did.
The sequel, which is scripted by Vaughn alongside his longtime collaborator Jane Goldman, will also add some big talent. Julianne Moore has been rumored to be joining the production as the main villain, with the setting of the sequel set to shift to the United States. Halle Berry has been in talks to join the film as the head of the CIA, with her deal being rumored to be for not one, but two Kingsman movies. That last part is most excited because let’s face it, a Kingsman trilogy would be everything this world needs.
Deadline reported today that Game of Thrones favorite Pedro Pascal, who made a name for himself playing the sexy, dangerous and short-lived Prince Oberyn Martell, will also join the cast. Pascal’s character is believed to be called Jack Daniels, but that’s all we really know.
There was also a tongue-in-cheek announcement yesterday by Taron Egerton via Twitter. A poster for the upcoming movie, suggesting that the first film’s most prominent spy and mentor played by Colin Firth may return.
A message from an old friend. #Kingsman pic.twitter.com/n4HShWktIK
— Taron Egerton (@TaronEgerton) April 7, 2016
The rules of the Kingsman universe are unclear. Can characters come back from the dead? It doesn’t matter. Fans of the film — this writer included — would love to see Colin Firth back in action. In the first film, we went along for the ride as the villain implanted SIM cards into the world’s phones that could ultimately cause their brains to explode in a haze of purple smoke. Who are we to say that a man who was shot in the head at point-blank range can’t be brought back?
The important thing to remember is that thanks to Kingsman‘s box office success ($414 million worldwide), Fox is doubling down on the franchise. And from the sound of some of these contracts, it would appear as if they are setting themselves up for a third film. With the expectation that The Golden Circle will be at least in the ballpark of fun with The Secret Service, it’s more than plausible that the Kingsman franchise continues to dazzle, and do so with the utmost style.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle is scheduled for a June 16, 2017 release.
