Matthew Vaughn’s long-running film relationship with comic book creator Mark Millar began with 2010’s Kick-Ass – and now it’s about to come full-circle, with Dave ‘Kick-Ass’ Lizewski himself about to join the Kingsman universe. Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has reportedly joined the cast of Kingsman: The Great Game – a spin-off set in the early 20th century, exploring the origins of the secret spy organisation. His role remains under wraps, but he’s joining the likes of Charles Dance, Daniel Bruhl and Ralph Fiennes in the cast.
Taylor-Johnson isn’t the only fresh addition to the film, with Gemma Arterton also joining the cast. Shooting has begun, in order to get the film ready for release this November – sneaking into the release date vacated by Bond 25. Being set around the time of World War I, The Great Game won’t star Taron Egerton as Eggsy – though the star is set to return for a concluding chapter of the main Kingsman storyline.
“I would like the third one to be better received than the second one was,” Egerton told the Empire Podcast last year. “I felt we got a bit of an unfair kicking if I'm totally honest. I think in some respects it was [difficult] because I just gave everything to it, and then it was so quickly torn down, that I think I did feel a bit of a sting. I think in some respects it probably wasn't quite as well put-together a film as the first one, but it certainly wasn't a bad film. And when we got this real kicking- I think what I would like to happen is for us to do a third one and for it to feel like a worthy third instalment to what has been a great part of my life.”
Kingsman: The Great Game is due to hit UK cinemas on 8 November.
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