Top 10 Kingsman Facts

A heavyweight writer in the comic book world, Mark Millar penned the "Kingsman" series, then simply called “The Secret Service” back in 2012, it was later renamed “Kingsman: The Secret Service” to tie in with the now successful film. As with many other book to film adaptations, there are numerous additions and subtractions from the source material, including different character names and plot lines. But the essence of the unconventional tale is still there - and Mark Millar has actually said that Sean Connery’s journey to becoming a gentleman for the Bond franchise served as inspiration for it. Nuts, right?

Although the lead role of the uncouth Eggsy went to the then unknown Taron Egerton - “Kingsman” was his first feature film by the way - there were numerous A list celebrities linked with the role, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson. One rumour said that Harry Potter star Emma Watson was considered for the lead female role of Roxy, while even crazier reports linked Idris Elba, Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio for the role of villain Richmond Valentine, which later went to Samuel L. Jackson, although these rumours were likely hearsay. Still, what film doesn’t have gossip.

With a solid CV that boasts directorial credits like “Layer Cake”, “Kick-Ass” and “X-Men: First Class”, Matthew Vaughn is a sought after guy. Although offered to take the director’s chair for “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, which on paper would have been a logical step, given he directed the previous X-Men outing, Vaughn turned down the project so he could work on Kingsman. A decision he said was “really tough”, Vaughn essentially didn’t want to be beaten to the punch in making a fun spy movie, fearing that his screenplay would be shunned aside and forgotten about if that happened. Well, thank you for your commitment Mr Vaughn. The payoff was glorious.

When he’s not babbling to a lovely lady, being a king or doing whatever he did in “Mamma Mia!”, Colin Firth can look after himself in a fight, at least on screen that is. Apparently bulking up six months prior to production and then working diligently with the stunt guys to get battle-ready, Firth is said to have performed around 80 per cent of his own stunts in “Kingsman”, umbrella flicks, jumping, kicking - the whole shebang. So, next time you watch the famous church slaughter debacle or bar scene, remember, that guy from “Love Actually” could probably kick your arse for real.

For those of you who haven't seen the great series that is “Archer”, all you need to know is that it follows a superspy who takes on some of the most daring, tactical endeavours with his own brand of bohemian methodology - not too dissimilar to Eggsy then. Given their nonconformist similarities, 20th Century Fox treated San Diego Comic Con goers to a short crossover film featuring both spies, which sees them bumping into one another at the famed Kingman tailors. Archer throws digs at Britishisms, Eggsy tells him where to go and the whole thing is hilarious and classy right to the end… where Eggsy draws a knob on Archer’s face. Nice.

Many people will tell you that the thing that makes a villain great is their weaknesses and flaws. They add character and vulnerability. Well, Sam Jackson took this into consideration for his portrayal as tech mogul Richmond Valentine, who has a prevalent lisp throughout Kingsman. Having a stutter as a child, Jackson came up with the idea of adding the lisp himself and stated that he thought an odd characteristic like this would convey a certain dismissal of the villain, as if he may not have been taken seriously as a child. And this makes it all the more ironic that Valentine has the world in the palm of his hand during the film.

As mentioned earlier, many characters from the Kingsman comic book series were altered for the film, and one of the big changes was making prosthetic-legged henchman Gazelle, a woman. Not only was Gazelle cast as a henchwoman, but the blades fitted to the prosthetic legs, which give a whole new take on the standard stilleto, were also added for outrageousness - and it totally works. And guess what, athletes Amy Purdy and Oscar Pistorius were both considered for the part before it went to Nike poster girl Sofia Boutella, an actress who undertook rigorous taekwondo training to deliver a convincingly deadly performance.

Your bedroom filling with water as you sleep. Nightmare fuel for bed-wetting teenagers. But the famous water training scene in “Kingsman” was nearly a thing of real terror. The whole scene went drastically wrong. On the first day of filming the plan was to slowly lower the set into water to achieve each desired shot. However, a computer malfunction sent the entire set, cast and crew - cameras and all - 25 feet deep in water. Panic ensued, people were rescued, and thankfully everyone was okay, but Matthew Vaughn has said that the fear on the Kingsman candidates’ faces in this scene, is all too real.

You probably know that the second film in the franchise, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle”, is already a thing. But did you know about the potential third installment? Vaughn and co-writer Jane Goldman have reportedly already started working on a framework to complete a Kingsman trilogy, with Vaughn stating that “Golden Circle” will essentially act as a catalyst and set-up for a third film, or as the franchise’s “Empire Strikes Back” as Vaughn puts it. Who knows, it could span further than a trilogy and Eggsy could become a codename and echo through the ages, just like James Bond.

“A suit is a modern gentleman's armour” the Kingsman say. And thanks to Vaughn’s vision, and the collaboration of costume designer Arianne Phillips and renowned men’s retail tailors Mr Porter, you can have your very own armour. Yep, Mr Porter sells luxurious, professionally-tailored Kingsman suits and all the dapper accessories to go with it, designed by some of Britain’s biggest clothing brands. Of course, you’ll pay a decent wedge to look like a Kingsman, £1,500 for a double-breasted cashmere-blend suit like Firth wears, but can you really put a price on being a superspy?