On day 1 of Comic Con, Fox Studios opened the infamous Hall H room. Many may have been hoping for a glimpse at the upcoming Deadpool 2 or word on one of the many in-the-works X-Men projects at this panel, but no such info was revealed or mentioned. Today’s panel focused entirely on the upcoming sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle. A massive surprise at the opening of this panel was an animated vignette featuring the film’s main character Gary “Eggsy” Unwin (Taron Egerton). Eggsy is seen running frantically through the streets of London arriving at the Kingsman headquarters. Upon arriving he’s stunned to see none other than Sterling Archer (from the hilarious FXX show Archer). Archer has just outfitted himself in snazzy clothes and introduces himself as the world’s greatest secret agent. Eggsy is puzzled how Archer even got there and the two have a hysterical exchange that ends with Archer drinking a giant container of alcohol before passing out cold. Eggsy then proceeds to “draw a knob on his head.”
From there the panel proper begins and several principle cast members are brought out. Oscar winners Colin Firth, Halle Berry and Jeff Bridges are joined by Taron Egerton, Channing Tatum and Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones’ Oberyn Martell) from the cast. Also present are comic creator Dave Gibbons and Jane Goldman. The moderator introduces the first of three clips. Director Matthew Vaughn was not able to attend, so a short video clip has him introducing the opening sequence of the movie. The film’s opening has Eggsy leaving the Kingsman headquarters only to be accosted by a former agent at gunpoint. The former agent insists they enter the approaching cab marked to pick up Eggsy. As soon as they enter, a massive fight breaks out where it reveals the assailant’s arm is a cyborg arm. He finally removes the attacker as the cab slams into a street corner poll. In true James Bond-style technology, Eggsy presses a couple of buttons and the cab changes into a sports car. Three cars give pursuit and he’s forced to literally drive the car into a river. Another press of a button and the car is now also a submarine.
After the clip, star Egerton quips, “I think Matthew Vaughn likes to see me in trouble.” The moderator asks Colin Firth how his character is even in this movie following the events of the first movie. Puzzled, Firth offers, “It’s a mystery to me. I’m in the trailer. I seem to do a lot of shaving but that’s all I can say.” Asked of his character Champ, Jeff Bridges explains, “I’m Champagne, but I like to be called ‘Champ.’ He’s a tough guy.” When prompted why his character only spits out champagne instead of swallowing it he continues, “He’s challenged by his vices. He’s a tough guy. He likes to get right into the face of that vice. He likes to surround himself with what he’s afraid of.” Bridges, Berry and Tatum are all apart of a rival U.S.-based group called the Statesman.
They play a second clip at this point that features Eggsy and Mark Strong’s Merlin entering a secret installation at a bourbon cellar. They’re accosted and quickly defeated by Tatum’s Tequila. In a nod to the film’s connections to alcoholic references the moderator produces a bottle of bourbon and the cast all is poured a glass. For whatever reason Berry is given a full pint and Tatum insists on filling it nearly to the top. When the fans present are allowed a chance for Q&A with the cast, one of them making mention to Berry’s glass causes the whole room to chant, “Chug! Chug! Chug!” Berry responds to the taunts indicating she will in fact do it, which only causes the audience to chant more. Finally, she slams the full pint of bourbon to a massive cheer. A later question from a fan about the run-time of the movie prompts the cast to indicate it should be about two hours and fifteen minutes.
Finally, a third clip film from the film was shown in which the film’s main villain Poppy (played by Julianne Moore) is explaining why she’s set up a series of ’50s nostalgia establishments hidden in a vast jungle. She’s discussing with a henchman a possible new recruit he’s brought to her. Upon explaining how she demands total loyalty and obedience, she then starts up a gigantic meet grinder and indicates to the new recruit that he must put the existing henchman through it. The henchman attempts to flee but is stopped by two massive cybernetic dogs. The new recruit does as he is instructed and feeds the man through the meet grinder. A mass like hamburger meet sluices through and Poppy joyfully grabs a morsel of it, throwing it on the grill in front of her. She instructs the new recruit to head across the street to the fashion parlor. There, his teeth are filed down, his fingerprints burned off and a gold ring burned into his skin. Upon returning, Poppy serves him a hamburger made from the ground up henchman–whose legs are still hanging out of the meet grinder behind her–and insists, “Bon appétit.” She smiles on intensely until the new recruit takes a cannibalistic bite and swallows. Yup, that happened.
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