Believe it or not, it’s been 13 years since Matthew Vaughn has directed a film that doesn’t have comic book ties. It was 2007’s “Stardust” (which is actually based on a Neil Gaiman property, so there is a bit of a comic book angle there) that allowed Vaughn the opportunity to build a film that didn’t rely on some sort of comic book origins. Since then, the filmmaker has done “Kick-Ass,” “X-Men: First Class,” and multiple ‘Kingsman’ films, including the upcoming prequel, “The King’s Man.” And as he explained to Empire, he might not be done working with comic book films just yet.
Taking place nearly 100 years before the events of the two previous ‘Kingsman’ spy films, “The King’s Man” shows the origins of the secretive agency and according to the filmmaker, it also lays the groundwork for what is going to happen in the still-forthcoming ‘Kingsman 3.’
“We’ve put seeds for what’s going to happen in ‘Kingsman 3’ all the way back into this,” said Vaughn. “And it’s going to be very different.”
One of the big changes that have been speculated for the upcoming ‘Kingsman 3’ is a new filmmaker. As is the case with the prequel, both previous ‘Kingsman’ films were directed by Vaughn. And while he’s unsure if he’ll be around for ‘Kingsman 3,’ he’s still considering suiting up for yet another spy adventure.
“I actually don’t know what I want to do,” he said. “There is an opportunity for a director to really change it up, but I’m considering it.”
And since it’s the cool thing to do nowadays, the filmmaker is already prepping a Director’s Cut of his upcoming prequel, “The King’s Man.” In fact, Vaughn explained that he had to already cut 40 minutes worth of material for the theatrical release, and it’s those moments that will be added back in eventually.
“I’ve cut so much out of this film that there’s going to be a 40-minute longer version,” the filmmaker said. “I’ll do “The King’s Man Vaughn Cut.’ I’ve got a few really dirty fucking jokes in there.”
After experiencing some pretty crazy delays already, as the entire industry deals with the pandemic, “The King’s Man” is now expected to arrive in theaters on September 18. Maybe. Who knows if that will actually happen?
You can also see some new images from “The King’s Man” below:
