The King’s Man is the third entry in the Kingsman franchise. It’s not exactly Kingsman 3 because it’s a prequel film, but it is an important film in the franchise. It dives deeper into the history of the organization and introduces fans of the franchise to a new set of characters and stories about them. The King’s Man will expand the universe, and help fans wait for Kingsman 3 with Taron Egerton and Colin Firth.
The King’s Man is one of the highly anticipated 2021 movies, so let’s explore what we know so far about this upcoming Kingsman movie.
The King’s Man Release Date Is Set For December 22, 2021
The King’s Man went into production in 2018 and began filming in early 2019. Its original release date was set for November 15, 2019, but by February 2019, it was moved to a February 14, 2020 release date. In November 2019, it was moved from February to September 18, 2020.
Then in 2020, the pandemic hit and many movies had to delay their release. In August 2020, The King’s Man was pushed from September to February 26, 2021. In January 2021, it received an August 20, 2021 release date. Now The King’s Man has settled on a December 22, 2021 release date.
The film could be moved yet again in the upcoming months, but it’s highly likely that The King’s Man will premiere on its current December date, because the recent box office numbers seem to indicate that movie fans are returning to the theater. This means that The King’s Man could possibly perform well during the Christmas 2021 box office season, though it will have some tough December release competition.
The King’s Man Includes A Cast Of New Characters Led By Ralph Fiennes And Harris Dickinson
In The King’s Man, Ralph Fiennes plays the lead character, The Duke of Oxford. He appears to be the one who establishes The Kingsman and recruits other members. One of the main members is Conrad, played by Harris Dickinson, he’s the Duke’s son. Gemma Arterton and Djimon Hounsou play two other Kingsman members, Polly and Shola. Stanley Tucci will be playing either the original or another Merlin. Mark Strong played Merlin in the first two Kingsman movies.
Everyone’s favorite dancing Marvel villain, actor Daniel Brühl, plays Erik Jan Hanussen. Charles Dance plays General Kitchener, Rhys Ifans plays Rasputin, and Tom Hollander plays George V. Wilhelm II, and Nicholas II. All of these men will be playing fictionalized versions of real-life historical figures. Matthew Goode and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will also be part of the cast. According to IMDB, Goode’s character will be Captain Tristan Morton and Taylor-Johnson will play Lee Unwin.
Kingsman fans may recognize that name because it’s Eggsy (Taron Egerton)’s father’s name. This could mean that Taylor-Johnson will play a younger version of Eggsy’s father or he’ll be playing his grandfather, or even great-grandfather. Based on the time period of when The King’s Man is set, it makes the most sense for him to be Eggsy’s great-grandfather, unless The King’s Man is about to introduce time travel into the franchise.
One familiar presence Kingsman fans can expect is director Matthew Vaughn, who also directed the first two movies.
The King’s Man Takes Place In The Early 1900s
The King’s Man takes place in the early 1900s and is set during World War I. The plot synopsis describes the film as one man’s journey to stop terrible criminals and masterminds from creating a war that would wipe out millions. Because The King’s Man takes place in the early 1900s, Vaughn used old films for inspiration.
At a 2019 New York Comic-Con panel, Vaughn called The King’s Man “a love letter to the movies I loved growing up.” He also mentioned films like Lawrence of Arabia influencing the style of The King’s Man. He also stated that he used the same lens used to film Lawrence of Arabia to film this Kingsman movie. As a nod to that era of film, Vaughn also limited the use of CGI for this film.
The King’s Man Lays The Groundwork For The Kingsman 3
Though The King’s Man won’t be a direct sequel, it will influence future entries into The Kingsman franchise. In an interview with Empire, Matthew Vaughn revealed that The King’s Man will have a connection to 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.
In 2019, Egerton confirmed to Comicbook.com that a script had already been written for Kingsman 3. Also in 2019, Vaughn told Digital Spy that it would be the final chapter on Eggsy and Harry (Colin Firth)’s relationship. However, it won’t be the end of the Kingsman franchise.
In December 2020, Marv Group CEO Zygi Kamasa said that part of the company’s expansion plan included making “something like seven more Kingsman films.” This likely means there will be a lot more spinoff movies to come, and The King’s Man and Kingsman 3 could contain the clues for future movies.
The King’s Man Addresses Modern Day Topics
The King’s Man may take place in the early 1900s but it still has topics that speak to a modern audience. Vaughn spoke to CinemaBlend and had this to say about the relevancy of The King’s Man.
That was odd about this film, is it's very relevant to, going to be, to a modern audience. I want kids to see that when crazy people are running the world things can get out of control very, very quickly. I think we're in a political climate which is very similar to the pre-World War I climate where nobody thought there could be a war. And then there was a war, and nobody understood why there was a war.
The King’s Man addresses political issues, but actor Ralph Fiennes doesn’t think it’s heavy-handed with its messages, even as the film very much takes a stand on certain issues. This is not a foreign concept to the Kingsman world, as the first two films very much had political commentary mixed in with the action and chaos.
The King’s Man Has Released Multiple Trailers
20th Century Studios released the first King’s Man trailer in July 2019, and then another one in September 2019. The most recent trailer came out in June 2020. All of these trailers set up the world of The King’s Man. In them, we get a sense of the Duke of Oxford--his morals, messages, skills, and clever nature. We also see some of the villains that the Kingsman will face off against.
These trailers have plenty of action and style, and feel like the familiar world of the Kingsman that we got to know in the first two films.
The King’s Man will hopefully finally get its theatrical release on December 22, 2021. Make sure to check with CinemaBlend for any release date changes.
