Kingsman: Matthew Vaughn Says Movie Got Made Because "Bond Got Too Serious"

Matthew Vaughn made his directorial debut in 2004 with Layer Cake, which starred future James Bond actor, Daniel Craig. Vaughn went on to make many popular films, including Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and The King's Man. The action franchise is clearly influenced by Bond but has a sillier edge than the more recent 007 outings. In fact, Vaughn recently spoke at New York Comic Con, and revealed the first Kingsman was made because he felt "Bond got too serious." 

"[The idea for Kingsman] literally came with Mark Miller and I in a pub, and, I love you Daniel Craig, but we were just thinking 'Bond's got a bit too serious.' We just came up with it literally over a few pints of Guinness at a pub called The Windsor Castle ... We were talking about how Ian Fleming didn't want to cast Sean Connery. And the director of Dr. No was like to Fleming, 'Give me two weeks and I will transform the Scottish big bloke into an English gentleman.' So he took him to Savile Row. He converted Connery into Bond and we thought, 'Well, let's take that idea and do our version because Connery had his rough edges.' So that was the kernel of the idea."

Will There Be a Kingsman 3?

Kingsman 3 was previously announced, and franchise star Taron Egerton thought the movie would go into production this year. Due to the ongoing SAG strike, it's unlikely the movie will begin filming in 2023, but Vaughn confirmed at NYCC that he will be making the threequel next year in addition to another Kick-Ass film. 

"We will be doing a reboot of Kick-Ass next year, but it's a total… it's like… it's as brave as the first one but totally different and more reflective of the times we're in," Vaughn told ComicBook.com. "We are working on that at the moment," Vaughn said of Kingsman 3 during his NYCC panel. "It's a weird time to be in the movie business. We're not making movies, but that's another story. But it's a tough time and ... next year we're rebooting Kick-Ass and we will be making Kingsman 3."

Who Will Be the Next Bond?

Currently, it is unknown who will be playing the next Bond after Daniel Craig's 15-year stint as the spy. However, producer Barbara Broccoli has already stated the character will not be played by a woman.

"He can be of any color, but he is male," Broccoli previously shared. "I believe we should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters. I'm not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that."

There are many names being tossed around as the next 007, including Marvel star Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Some actors have explained why they aren't right for the role while others have detailed some bad auditions, and some are even throwing their hats in the ring. 

"Nobody's in the running," producer Barbara Broccoli told Deadline last year. "We're working out where to go with him, we're talking that through. There isn't a script and we can't come up with one until we decide how we're going to approach the next film because, really, it's a reinvention of Bond. We're reinventing who he is and that takes time. I'd say that filming is at least two years away."

Stay tuned for more updates from NYCC.