Top 10 Things We Want To See In Kingsman: The Golden Circle

From President Alma Coin to Margaret White, Julianne Moore has played some devious characters. In the “Kingsman” sequel, Moore will take on the villainous role of Poppy, a diabolical mastermind linked to an evil empire known as the Golden Circle. Setting up base in the jungle, this entrepreneur sets out to recreate a new suburbia with a 1950s vibe. Director Matthew Vaughn describes Poppy as “Martha Stewart on crack,” which definitely sounds like a good thing for the big screen. Through Samuel L. Jackson’s Richmond Valentine, the first film satirized our reliance on technology. With Poppy, the filmmakers will likely make commentary on nostalgia and the dangerous lengths it can drive people to.

Modern spy movies are known for playing things with a straight face and a PG-13 rating. “Kingsman: The Secret Service” stood out thanks to its self-aware sense of humor and ridiculous action, which earned its R rating. Based on the trailers, “The Golden Circle” looks to have plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and over-the-top violence to go around. The exclusive footage revealed at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 received an overwhelmingly positive response from viewers, especially a jaw-dropping car chase in the film’s first act. If “The Golden Circle” can crank the wit, style, and insanity up to eleven, we might have a rare sequel that actually surpasses its predecessor.

Taking a page from “Independence Day,” the initial trailer for this sequel got us all hooked by blowing up a familiar building. Following a brief appearance from Michael Gambon as a Kingsman official, the preview suddenly cuts to a missile flying towards the spy organization’s headquarters. The ensuing explosion leaves nothing but a sinkhole behind, perhaps marking the end of an era. Although the Kingsman have seemingly lost everything, this attack prompts them to team up with their American counterpart, the Statesman. The Golden Circle may hit our heroes hard, but it’s safe to assume that Eggsy and company will come firing back with equally mind-blowing results.

15 years after playing a Bond girl in “Die Another Day,” Halle Berry is geared up for some more espionage. In “The Golden Circle,” Berry stars as Ginger Ale, tech support for the Statesman. She has a fair deal in common with Mark Strong’s Merlin, suggesting that a geeky romance might spark between the two. Speaking of which, Berry apparently found true love on set… with a horse. Anyway, in addition to spy flicks, Berry is no stranger to comic book adaptations, including “X-Men: Days of Future Past” – a film which also benefited from the writing involvement of director Matthew Vaughn and co-writer Jane Goldman.

Of all the big names that signed up for this sequel, the one that seemed to catch everybody off-guard was Sir Elton John. The English singer confirmed his involvement on Instagram, posting a photo that parodied the film’s poster with a pair of John’s trademark sunglasses and the announcement that “Wednesday night’s alright for fighting”. This is, surprisingly, overdue as Matthew Vaughn actually wanted John to play a fictionalized version of himself in the original “Kingsman.” A scrapped subplot would’ve seen John getting kidnapped, throwing huge tantrums, and kicking some serious ass. John may seem like an unlikely action star, but death does play a crucial role in the “circle of life”.

Equipped with a razor-sharp set of prosthetic legs, Sofia Boutella’s Gazelle stole the show in “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” While Gazelle sadly won’t play a significant role in this sequel, the filmmakers have another enhanced hench-person in store for us: Charlie. You know, Eggsy’s snobby rival that couldn’t cut it as a Kingsman? Back with a shaved head and a mechanical arm and working for Poppy, Charlie is bound to cross paths with Eggsy for some hand-to-hand combat. As far as characters with awesome artificial limbs go, let’s see if Charlie can give Bucky Barnes, Furiosa, and Ash Williams a run for their money.

As a producer, Matthew Vaughn helped Guy Ritchie bring “Snatch” and “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” to the silver screen. He later broke out as a director with comic book adaptations like “Kick-Ass” and “X-Men: First Class,” not to mention the overlooked fantasy adventure, “Stardust.” Given Vaughn’s knack for action, colorful visuals, and black humor, he was perfectly tailored to helm “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” What’s more, he’ll also be reuniting with co-writer Jane Goldman to pen the script. With these two involved, we can expect the same kinetic energy that made the first “Kingsman” such a blast.

“The Secret Service” showcased a slew of fancy gadgets and gizmos in the spirit of old-school James Bond. The Kingsman and the Statesman are breaking out a few new toys in “The Golden Circle,” such as an underwater taxi, a rocket-launching briefcase, and a high-tech skipping rope. Oh sorry, “lasso”. Of course the villains will bring their fair share of weapons to the table as well. Aside from Charlie and his enhanced arm, Poppy receives backup from a pair of robotic dogs named Bennie and Jet. Wait a minute... Bennie and Jet? Could that be a clue to Elton John’s role in the film?

In addition to Eggsy, Merlin, and the other Kingsman, “The Golden Circle” also introduces us to the Statesman. At the head of this secret organization is Jeff Bridges as Champagne, or “Champ” for short. His posse includes Channing Tatum as Agent Tequila and Pedro Pascal as Agent Whiskey, aka Jack Daniels. With the Statesman named after alcoholic beverages, it’s only fitting that their base is a distillery in Kentucky. While there might be a culture clash between the Americans and the Brits, we can expect their mutual love of booze and guns to bring them together.

Going from King George VI to Kingsman, Colin Firth demonstrated just how suave, cool, and badass he can be as Harry Hart. After Richmond Valentine put a bullet in his head, it appeared we had seen the last of the super spy. But with a poster showing a lens popped out of Harry’s glasses, and a tagline reading “reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated”, fans were given hope. Harry later resurfaced in the film’s trailer, sporting an eyepatch and adopting the Rooster Cogburn look, which is appropriate seeing how this sequel will have a western twist. Welcome back, Harry!