Millar is the prolific comic writer who had a long run at Marvel and DC before moving on to creator-owned books through Image comics with his Millarworld imprint. Kick-Ass (which will soon be rebooted), which translates exceptionally to the Kingsman franchise.
The series boosts an all-star cast across all three films, starting with the lead of the first two, Taron Egerton as Eggsy. Kingsman: The Secret Service served as Egerton's big acting break and launched him into stardom, while he had the benefit of working with veteran actors in ing roles. Colin Firth plays well against type as Eggsy's uncle and mentor, Harry Hart, playing an action star for the first time in his career. Samuel L. Jackson and Sofia Boutella play the main villains of the first film, with Mark Strong, Michael Caine, and Mark Hamill also in attendance. The Golden Circle brought back Egerton and Firth, as well as Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Halle Berry, Julianne Moore, Sir Elton John, Pedro Pascal, Bruce Greenwood, and Emily Watson. The latest film, The King's Man, a prequel to the first two, features a new cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Charles Dance, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Djimon Hounsou, Matthew Goode, and Harris Dickinson, rounding out a strong franchise assemblage.
3. The King's Man
Vaughn's prequel to the first two films, Ralph Fiennes is the lead, Orlando Oxford, the founder of The Kingsman organization, who attempts to manipulate world events without resorting to violence, ultimately finding that his hand may be forced for lasting results. The film co-stars Gemma Arterton, Djimon Hounsou, Harris Dickinson, Matthew Goode, and Rhys Ifans (as a deliciously fun version of Rasputin), who all pull their weight, but it's not enough to overcome the charm, style, action, and pacing of the previous entries, regardless of their star power.
2. Kingsman: The Golden Circle
The first sequel in the series, the return of Colin Firth's Harry and a wild final act make up for the frequently silly things (like an outrageous Elton John over-swearing in every scene) and brings back the energetic style that made the first film so fun, even if it can't quite sur it.
1. Kingsman: The Secret Service
Vaughn takes the premise of Millar's comic and spins it into a true action/spy yarn with Sofia Boutella's Gazelle makes for a great gimmick villain. The music, energy, and intense action make The Secret Service an exciting watch, especially when Harry takes down an entire church full of brainwashed baddies all by himself in a single take to Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird", creating of the the coolest action sequences ever put to film. Henry Jackman's score creates a solid signature Kingsman theme, which gives the film more weight as a franchise starter, which is handled deftly by Vaughn's manic vigor, making The Secret Service the best of the bunch.
