A couple of new images have been released for upcoming comic book action movie, The King's Man. Matthew Vaughn's 2014 hit Kingsman: The Secret Service proved to be a much-needed adrenaline shot for the spy genre, and though the sequel, Kingsman: The Secret Service, sadly failed to live up to the expectations set by its predecessor, this year's The King's Man is taking to the franchise in an excitingly different direction.
The new pair of images showcases the movie's heroes, putting The Grand Budapest Hotel star Ralph Fiennes' character, Kingsman Agent Duke of Oxford, front and center. Standing alongside him is one of his main allies, Shola, played by Blood Diamond and Guardians of the Galaxy star Djimon Hounsou. The second image depicts The Girl with all the Gifts star Gemma Arterton as Polly, as she hunkers down and takes aim at what is presumably some unsuspecting villain.
Director Matthew Vaughn has been slowly revealing details about the prequel, and recently confirmed that the The King's Man will sow seeds for Kingsman 3. "We've put seeds for what's going to happen in Kingsman 3 all the way back into this. And it's going to be very different," Vaughn said in a discussion with Empire Magazine. The King's Man is travelling back in time for this next installment, with the movie taking place during World War I. Establishing the origin of the secret service, it will be interesting to see how the movie, despite going back decades and involving a host of brand-new characters, will help set up the future of the franchise when it returns to the main timeline.
Vaughn also revealed that he may not return to direct Kingsman 3, with the director saying, "I actually don't know what I want to do. There is an opportunity for a director to really change it up, but I'm considering it."
While details surrounding the third Kingsman remain largely unknown, headline star Taron Egerton has previously stated that "there is a script," with the actor declaring that "It's a really neat idea."
Meanwhile, the upcoming prequel, The King's Man, finds a collection of history's worst tyrants and criminal masterminds gather together to plot a war to wipe out millions of people and destroy humanity. One man and his protégé must race against time to stop them, as the movie reveals the origin of the elite secret service. The King's Man is directed by Matthew Vaughn, who wrote the screenplay with Karl Gajdusek. The movie will act as a prequel and the third film in the Kingsman franchise, which is loosely based on the comic book series Kingsman, created by Dave Gibbons and Mark Millar and published by Marvel's Icon Comics imprint.
The movie features an ensemble cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, Daniel Brühl, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance. Following a delay due to the ongoing global circumstances, The King's Man is now scheduled to be released on 16 September 2020 in the United Kingdom and on 18 September 2020 in the United States. These images come to us courtesy of Empire Magazine.