A period drama hailed by fans as “perfect” is airing on television tonight. Set in the early 1900s, the spy action film is the third installment in a series, serving as a prequel to Kingsman: The Secret Service and Kingsman: The Golden Circle.
The King’s Man was released in 2021, starring Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton, Rhys Ifans, Matthew Goode, Tom Hollander, Harris Dickinson, and Charles Dance. Set on the brink of a major world war, behind which a group of criminal masterminds operate, the film follows pacifist Duke of Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) as he forms a private espionage network with some of the world’s greatest servants.
The drama airs on Film4 on Tuesday, June 16. The synopsis teases: “Haunted by the death of his wife Emily, the Duke of Oxford is an ardent pacifist, who has established a network of servant spies coordinated by his housekeeper Polly to relay intelligence that will prevent conflicts around the world. When a shadowy mastermind known as the Shepherd orders the assassination of the Archduke Ferdinand, the Duke rallies his troops, including right-hand-man Shola and his headstrong 17-year-old son Conrad.”
Several fans have claimed The King’s Man is the best of the series, with viewers calling it “perfect” and “epic.” One wrote: “Absolutely brilliant. Best Kingsman’s so far!! Excellent cast and great plot. Absolutely loved the plot and my goodness Ralph Fiennes you are a master.” Another shared: “The King’s Man is the most definitely the best movie that I ever saw if you plan on seeing this movie I suggest you see this one.” Others called it a “masterwork” that is “deceptively brilliant,” while someone else said: “I loved it from the first minutes.” Another echoed, “A must-watch,” and one rated it 11/10, calling it a “masterpiece.”
Speaking to Australian news outlet Nine when the film first aired in 2021, Harry Potter legend Ralph compared his The King’s Man role to his role in the James Bond franchise as M. “I'd always hoped in James Bond they might give me a bit of action but I don't think that'll happen,” he admitted. “I love doing M but this is kind of a partnership — M is behind the desk and operating from the base and here, not only am I the master spy but I get to get out there... I start off as a pacifist and then realise I gotta pick up a sword. Sometimes a man's got to do what a man's got to do.”
The Kingsman franchise returned in 2024 with Argylle, starring Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cena, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dua Lipa. A sequel to The King’s Man, marking the fifth in the franchise, is also rumoured to be arriving on screens and will be set during the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany. Though nothing has been confirmed, creator Matthew Vaughn previously told Collider that they’ve “written it and it’s pretty cool.” He shared: “The next one is about the rise of Hitler, and how Hitler did come to power and basically was supported by the English aristocracy. I was like, 'well that's interesting' and how the world was worrying so much about Communism, that Fascism rose up. And I look at the world at the moment, everyone getting distracted and worrying about this [and that] and if you worry too much about [this] bad things can happen here. So it is a story that I think needs to be recalled. We're calling it The Traitor King.”
The King’s Man airs on Film4 on Tuesday, June 16 at 9pm.
