Matthew Vaughn Talks ‘Argylle,’ His Planned Spy Cinematic Universe & How ‘Deadpool 3’ & The ‘Kick-Ass’ Reboot Might Be Similar [The Playlist Podcast]

Matthew Vaughn is no stranger to spy films, having previously directed three ‘Kingsman’ movies. But even after a decade of working on those movies, he can’t seem to let the genre go, as his latest film, “Argylle,” is yet another fun romp in the world of superspies. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Vaughn talks about his love of spies and why he’s not only sticking around to continue to work in the genre, but also why he wants to bring them all together in one big universe. 

“Argylle” is a film that features an amazing cast that includes Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Bryan Cranston, and more. The film tells the story of a famous author of spy novels who finds that her novels have predicted real world events. So, as she preps work on her next novel, real spies come out of the woodwork to get the information about what she’s writing about next and how it might affect the world. Oh, and through it all, the author carries around a backpack with her beloved cat in it. It’s exactly the type of film you might expect from Vaughn, especially if you’re a fan of the ‘Kingsman’ films. 

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And considering he’s spent the last decade working on ‘Kingsman’ and now “Argylle,” I asked him about why he can’t seem to break free of the world of spies. 

“I’ve just loved spies,” he said. “I’m not a big fan of romantic comedies, so I haven’t made one of those in the past 10 years… I love the world of espionage. Silly spies. Real spies. Real spy books… I don’t know why. Gadgets. I’ve always loved gadgets. It all probably started with James Bond, and that just ignited a love of espionage.”

We also talked about his idea for a superspy cinematic universe that would link all of his spy films together.

“I’ve done the ‘Kingman’ [films] and got more ‘Kingsman’ hopefully. We’ve got the whole of ‘Argylle.’ There are two other spy things I’m looking at,” explained Vaughn. “So, you’re going like, ‘Marvel and DC created these universes out of superheroes, why can’t we do that with spies?’ That’s sorta the plan.”

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And of course, since I’m a comic book nerd, I talked to him about the highly-anticipated “Kick-Ass” reboot that he has been hinting at for years now. 

“‘Kick-Ass,’ the reboot, is a reflection of the world that we now live in, and what’s happened with superhero films, comics, and where we are now,” said the filmmaker. “[The original] ‘Kick-Ass’ was something new and fresh and another way of looking at stuff. And now, we’ve had to do that again. All I can say is, people will be very surprised.”

He added, “It’s brave. It has to be brave, and make people feel ‘Holy moly!’ I have the director. I have the cast. I have the concept.”

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And finally, I do talk to him about “Deadpool 3,” as he was a formative voice in the ‘X-Men’ film universe that is seemingly coming to an end. 

“What I know about [‘Deadpool 3’] got me so excited that I will be buying a ticket to it opening weekend,” said Vaughn. “I was laughing and I have a little bit of fear, at the same time, because it sounds like maybe what we’re doing with ‘Kick-Ass.’ But I think we can both survive.”

“Argylle” is in theaters now. You can hear the full interview below:

The Playlist Podcast is part of The Playlist Podcast Network, which includes Bingeworthy, Deep Focus, The Fourth Wall, and The Discourse. We can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and most places where podcasts are found. You can stream the podcast via the Spotify embed within the article or click on the lead image at the top page. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast and our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe and drop us a comment or a rating, as we greatly appreciate it. Thank you for listening.