Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman franchise indeed set the bar high enough for modern spy action films. Not only did the stunning visuals and cinematography capture the audience’s attention, but the incredible, spine-chilling fight sequences left a lasting impression.
Who would ever forget the church battle royale scene with Colin Firth? That was definitely the most memorable part of Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014). However, this was contended by the studio and almost completely removed from the film.
Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman Movie Almost Omitted The Brutal Church Fight Scene
In an interview with BroBible’s Post Credit Podcast, director Matthew Vaughn discussed the iconic church scene in the first Kingsman installment. In this sequence, Colin Firth was seen in the middle of a chaotic and murderous attack from the South Glade Mission Church.
“That was the first thing we shot on Kingsman. You start with a tricky, big scene, it clears the pipes, and we’re in it, and you’ve got to concentrate. We’re also not exhausted, so we’ve got a chance at maybe making it work. But the thing about the church sequence, the studio was begging me to cut it three days before the film came out.”
The studio was not pleased with the church scene; Vaughn did not reveal the true reason but merely responded that it was a difference in creative opinion.
“They were all very worried about it. And when a lot of people [would] say, ‘Ah, you shouldn’t have this sequence in the movie.’ Creative opinion is… everyone’s right and everybody’s wrong. What some people love, other people hate. But it is what it is: that’s art.”
In the end, he chose to follow his artistic vision for the film, and surprisingly, it ended up becoming the most unforgettable part of Kingsman: The Secret Service.
“And a lot of people were telling me, ‘You can’t have the church sequence,’ so there was a moment where I was like, ‘Well, maybe I shouldn’t put it in the movie. But, in the end, I went, ‘Nah, I really like it, I’m keeping it in.’ ”
Even fans were happy that he decided to stick to the original plan. Check out some of their reactions below:
Could’ve been the biggest fumble of the 21st century
— Cυmber. (@HakiFruittt) February 3, 2024
Without a doubt the best scene in the entire film. Would’ve been a MONUMENTAL mistake.
— DJ Martinez (@DJMartinez06) February 3, 2024
Possibly one of the greatest action sequences ever put to film.
— MWZ & Warzone News (@GNGNewsCOD) February 3, 2024
Easily the best scene on that movie
— Kop_Chronicles (@chronicles_kop) February 4, 2024
And it became one of the best scenes in Hollywood's history 🔥
— Abhishek Malhotra (@Abhii_Malhotra) February 4, 2024
One of the coolest scenes in a movie in the last 20yrs
— RG | AmericanMike (@OHPfit) February 4, 2024
Kingsman: The Secret Service was a massive box office hit, grossing over $414 million against a budget of $94 million.
What’s Next In Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman Franchise?
In an interview with Screen Rant, Matthew Vaughn talked about his plans for the future of the spy film franchise. So far, it has released three movies: The Secret Service, The Golden Circle, and the prequel The King’s Man.
“I mean, we’ve written—we call it Kingsman: The Traitor King—which is about the rise of Hitler and how the English aristocracy helped Hitler come to power. So again, we think it’s a piece of history that should be told properly. And I love the idea of doing a Kingsman set in the 60s; I just think that would be fun and just different.”
A third Kingsman movie has also been announced which has the title Kingsman: The Blue Blood. So far, it has no scheduled release date, though it will pick up after the events in The Golden Circle.
“But the most important thing we need to do before, I joked, is get on with Kingsman 3; the idea is that I don’t want Taron being Arthur at the end of the table and Collin being a portrait.”
In the meantime, fans can watch Vaughn’s latest film Argylle, starring Henry Cavill, Dua Lipa, Bryce Dallas Howard, John Cena, and Samuel L. Jackson, in theaters worldwide.
Kingsman films are available to stream via Netflix and HBO.
