The Kingsman franchise gets a disappointing new update from 20th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell. The first Kingsman movie in 2014 was a hit, with director Matthew Vaughn's wacky spy universe proving popular with audiences. The 2017 sequel was also a success, but The King's Man (2021), a prequel, was a notable box office flop. Since then, Vaughn has expressed interest in concluding Eggsy's (Taron Egerton) story in Kingsman 3 and making another Kingsman prequel, but few concrete updates have emerged about these projects in recent months.

In a recent interview with THR, Asbell is asked about the status of the Kingsman franchise and whether more sequels and prequels are on the way. The 20th Century Studios executive keeps his answer short and to the point, saying simply: "There's no plans on doing them anytime soon." While that's not quite a nail in the franchise's coffin, it certainly isn't a positive sign for Vaughn's plans.

What Asbell's Update Means For The Kingsman Franchise

Vaughn's Recent Theatrical Failures Explained

The King's Man released as the COVID-19 pandemic was still severely affecting movie theaters in 2021, earning mixed reviews. As seen in the chart below, the film currently sports a 41% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, a franchise low. Though the audience score of 80% is behind only the first movie's 84%, this didn't translate into box office performance. Made on an estimated budget of $100 million, The King's Man grossed only about $125.9 million worldwide, meaning it likely lost quite a bit of money.

Despite this, Vaughn has been vocal about making Kingsman 3 and making another film that builds on the The King's Man. When Vaughn has addressed making another Eggsy adventure, he's mostly painted the delay as an issue of scheduling, but Asbell's comment suggests that this may not be the case. Though not a Kingsman movie or a 20th Century Studios property, it's likely that the theatrical flop of Vaughn's Argylle (2024), another espionage action comedy, has also factored into the decision.

In addition to Kingsman 3 and The King's Man 2, Vaughn was once developing a Statesman spinoff TV show, though this project has seemingly been scrapped.

Our Take On Asbell's Kingsman Franchise Update

Eggsy's Story Should Be Concluded

Though two high-profile flops isn't a great look for Vaughn, it would be a shame not to continue the Kingsman franchise. At the very least, Vaughn should get a chance to conclude Eggsy's story, as both movies with this character were generally pretty successful. While The King's Man is actually my favorite of the three films, another prequel at this point seems pretty much dead in the water.

Asbell's update speaks to just how much plans can change in Hollywood. Though Vaughn may once have had grand plans for the Kingsman franchise, it now seems as if he'll be lucky to do one more. It's possible that things will change in the future, but Egerton and costar Colin Firth are aging, and whatever Kingsman 3 idea Vaughn has now might not work if the project remains in limbo for another five years. Many questions remain about the Kingsman franchise, but Asbell's latest update is certainly a blow.

Source: THR