The Kingsman franchise is about to get a prequel, The King's Man, which is still set to release later this year. The movie already has a lot of fans talking, with the few trailers that were released revealing very few details of what the film could really be about.
While it's obvious that it will see the rise of the Kingsman organisation during World War I and will pit these heroes against historical figures like Rasputin, there's still a lot of mystery surrounding its place in the franchise, how everything links up, and who the true villain is. Luckily there's plenty of fan theories to fill in the gaps, although some aren't as great as others.
HILARIOUSLY BAD: The Kingsmen Have Magical Origins
While the theory that the franchise would somehow link to Harry Potter and the Wizarding World didn't seem to pick up much traction, there's still thoughts that there could be something supernatural or otherworldly in this prequel.
There's a well known legend that Rasputin had magical abilities, explaining his irresistible charisma and apparent invulnerability. This could play into the plot but with the original names of the characters matching that of Arthurian mythology, fans have suggested that there may be genuine magic in the movie. Magic would contradict the movies' otherwise grounded spy fiction but it's impossible to deny that the ensuing clash would be fun.
PERFECT THEORY: Conrad's Death Will Create The Kingsmen
Back during the original Kingsman, the producers spoke about the secret organisation forming after many upper class gentlemen had lost their sons during the first World War. This created a bond between them that then led to the Kingsman group.
This little bit of information has fueled speculation that perhaps the Duke of Oxford's son, Conrad, will die during the film, thus inspiring the Kingsmen's origin story.
HILARIOUSLY BAD: It Will Star Eggsy's Ancestors
Many fans of the franchise have become convinced that there will be some kind of link between this origin story and that of Eggy's. There's even people that suggest perhaps the Duke of Oxford is an ancestor to the young spy.
Although there's some possibility that this could happen, it seems extremely on the nose to have Eggsy so linked to the group - especially since his dad saw his training in the military and Eggsy's character is designed to be the opposite of the snobby British upper classes. Doing this wouldn't just rob Eggsy of what makes him unique, but also shrink the world of the Kingsman franchise to a single family.
PERFECT THEORY: There Will Be A Villainous Reveal
As of this writing, the villain of The King's Man has yet to be fully revealed. Every spy has to have an over the top villain, with plenty of Bond's rogue gallery sporting unusual characteristics that have since inspired countless imitations.
While historical figures like Rasputin have been established, there's someone in the shadows that has not been. The theory goes that this will lead to a major twist or reveal as to who the actual enemy really is, and this surprise villain may fall in line with the genre's most iconic villains.
HILARIOUSLY BAD: Merlin Will (Kind Of) Return
Linked to this theory is that the villain in the shadows could be a returning actor from the original films, playing one of their own ancestors in an ironic twist.
So far, Merlin is the top contender, especially because the fictional figure of Merlin is linked to immortality in mythology and has a mystical presence, which would supposedly link to Rasputin and explain why the ancestors look so similar.
PERFECT THEORY: The Kingsmen Are Behind The MI6/Rasputin Conspiracy
In history, there's a conspiracy that it was an MI6 agent that actually killed Rasputin, putting a bullet in the middle of his head after a number of failed attempts from Russian assassins.
This is something that MI6 has denied time and time again, but this movie could play into that rumor, with one of the Kingsman actually being the one to pull the trigger.
HILARIOUSLY BAD: The Kingsmen Were Ian Fleming's Literary Inspiration
Ian Fleming is the creator of the James Bond character, which has been referenced throughout this franchise many times. The Kingsman movies even parody a lot of elements from James Bond, and would arguably not even exist if not for MI6's most famous agent.
Ian Fleming would have been in his early childhood during this prequel and there's fan theories suggesting he runs into the Kingsman, prompting his imagination to run wild and leading to his greatest creation. Not only would this seem forced, but this would make The King's Man seem more self-congratulatory than need be.
PERFECT THEORY: There's A Rival Spy Group
Spy movies usually don't portray women in an equal position to men. Even the classic Bond Girl was originally more about her looks than her abilities or her brain.
Meanwhile, one of the few female characters of The King's Man is Polly, played by Gemma Arterton. Although she seems just as skilled as the others, it's possible she was actually rejected from joining this gentleman's club and therefore creates her own rival female-led spy organisation that may or may not resurface in future films.
HILARIOUSLY BAD: There's A Kingsman Crossover In The Works
Because it's a prequel. there's already talk that this could potentially lead to some kind of crossover between the two eras that audiences have seen. There's a major problem with this, if it weren't obvious enough.
A crossover would mean that there needs to be some kind of time travel or magical element to allow these different sets of time displaced characters to meet. Otherwise, Eggsy and the present Kingsmen will have to fight alongside spies who are nearly a century old. However, this hasn't stopped some fans talking about the possibilities!
PERFECT THEORY: There Will Be More Historical Figures
This list has mentioned Rasputin quite a lot but there's probably many more historical figures throughout this prequel that could be made fun of or, perhaps, even given villainous cameos that will be integral to the central conflict.
The Shepard appears to be the leader of the villain's group, as they all have badges that look like a Shepard's hook. There's a theory that there's plenty of other 'sheep' that are famous people from history, similar to how Richmond Valentine was able to convince well-known politicians to join his ranks.