TRIGGER WARNING: If you’re a fan of the Kingsman franchise and do not want they sequel spoiled, back away now. The trailer contains a particular plot point that will likely be front and center in future marketing materials – it’s on the poster now – but hey, I want to give a fair warning to those who like to be untainted by these sort of things.

SO HERE WE GO. The first trailer for Kingsman: The Golden Circle has hit the scene, and if you’re going to make a sequel, adding Julianne Moore, Jeff Bridges, Channing Tatum, Halle Berry, and Pedro Pascal into the mix is definitely a way to up the ante. Taron Egerton returns as Gary “Eggsy” Unwin, along with Mark Strong as Merlin and Sophie Cookson as Roxanne “Roxy” Morton.

Proving no one really dies in comic books, Kingsman: The Golden Circle drops one helluva bomb in its first trailer to reveal that Harry Hart aka Galahad (Colin Firth) is still alive. How he survived a bullet to the head from Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) is unknown at this time, but we will find out in due time. Kingsman has many nods to the Bond franchise, so like Blofeled, perhaps a juicier secret has been kept in which we discover in the movie that Valentine is still alive too. Although Julianne Moore will be playing the sequel’s main villain, it wouldn’t surprise me to see Valentine return.

Director Matthew Vaughn has yet to make a sequel to any of his past work up to this point, so he must see something special in this particular saga. Kingsman: The Secret Service was an odd ball action spy comedy that polarized audiences and critics alike netting over $400 million worldwide on a $81 million budget. His prior superhero fare, X-Men: First Class and Kick-Ass, did not fair as well but were not duds as they both received follow ups. With a bigger, more colorful cast to play with for the sequel, who could blame him for returning to the world of Kingsman?

Check out the official plot synopsis for Kingsman: The Golden Circle, courtesy of 20th Century Fox:

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” introduced the world to Kingsman – an independent, international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion, whose ultimate goal is to keep the world safe. In “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” our heroes face a new challenge. When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. In a new adventure that tests their agents’ strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world, something that’s becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy…

Directed Matthew Vaughn, Kingsman: The Golden Circle stars Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Halle Berry, Sir Elton John, Channing Tatum, and Jeff Bridges. The film is set to release on September 22, 2017.

Source: 20th Century Fox