Weve also marked a bit in big red letters where we talk about a specific Kingsman 2 spoiler.
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Oh fantastic.
Well, apart from for you maybe!
No, no its good.
Yeah, its weird isnt it?
What do you worry about?
That we might think its boring and not want to do it or something?
A little bit, but I always worry more that Im going to mess it up!
[chuckles]
I get this unholy amount of adrenaline before they start.
I think thats a good thing though, because an actor I can certainly identify with that.
I always think it means you dont care.
Quite, because you dont care!
Yes, thats probably it.
What a great film that is.
So undervalued at the time.
No, its an extraordinary achievement.
They didnt open it big.
I dont think they had faith in it for some reason.
Congratulations then on your return toKingsman.
It must have been great coming into the second one and having so much more time to develop him.
Were you aware that if a sequel was greenlit, youd get another crack at the character?
I didnt know I never know to be honest.
And ironically the ones that did carry on I got killed in,Sherlock Holmes,Kick-Ass.
They did get a second one, but I got killed in those!
Hes incredibly gifted, technologically, so theres a lot of things that hes really capable of.
You wouldnt mess with him, but hes kind of the glue that holds everything together.
He trains the new guys and he keeps the older guys, once they become agents, in line.
Merlin was somewhere in-between.
So he doesnt get to wear the Kingsman suit and the shoes and all of that.
Merlin unlike the others has a pair of shoes that has one strip of brogue on.
Theyre all wearing Oxfords or theyre wearing Brogues, but he has an Oxford with one strip of Brogue.
I mean thats the fine attention to detail that Matthew pays.
It kind of told me who that character is.
He sits somewhere in the middle.
He has to be able to straddle both classes if you like.
Did you get much of a backstory for him?
No, I invented that backstory for him, for myself.
I mean he has a military background.
I think decades ago he might have been somebodys Batman.
You know in the trenches in the First World War.
Hes that kind of guy.
In the opening scene of the first one they are on a mission together, arent they?
Hes at that mission where Eggsys Dad jumps on the grenade.
And it was nice to see that Merlin kept his clipboard I noticed.
Does the big knife come out of the clipboard in the movie?
I cant remember if its still in.
I think he gets it toward the end.
Hes handing out the weapons and he gets it.
Huge spoilers for the film in this bit!
Who decided where to take the character this time?
Matthew and Jane (Goldman).
It went backwards and forwards and I dont know how much Im allowed to say.
He kept saying Listen Ive got something to tell you.
And I said Well I dont feel great about it?
And then he rang me and said No, no hes going to get blown up and survive.
And I said Oh great.
Thats a ballistic resistant piece of Statesmen kit and the idea is it resists ballistics.
So Merlin is wearing it when he is on the mine.
But what Matthew realised from the story having shown it to test audiences and I totally understand this.
To then have him turn up again five minutes later.
The audience were kind of like oh come on!
My affection had transferred completely.
Thats why Matthew is a very clever storyteller, he knows that.
Hes made Merlin such a loveable character that for that to happen.
It kind of robs the moment.
Kind of and I totally get that.
Having said that, he has said nobody dies in theKingsmanuniverse.
I did think that.
Whats great about that universe is that youve got so many possibilities you could do what you want.
Youve got Colin Firths character who came back.
you might be rebuilt.
I was there in a wheelchair, but they painted me out.
But the emotional impact of him blowing up on that mine is testament to Matt and Janes storytelling.
Huge spoilers end!
Hed just madeLayer Cake.
I thought great, I havent heard from the guy.
I kept getting the messages that Matthew was thinking about it.
Finally, I got a call saying Do you want to come in?
and it wasStardust, it was to play Septimus.
Having made a fantasy movie I was like Wheres he going now?
Was that a year you remember standing out in terms of those films being released?
Its wonderful if you get two movies coming out at the same time that are different.
I actually think thats what got me started in films.
InOliver TwistI played this ginger haired, buck toothed, top hat wearing character named Toby Crackit.
InSyrianaI played like a third generation Lebanese Muslim who was torturing George Clooney.
No matter how many times I watch it, the challenge of the undead sword fight inStardustalways looks incredible.
Is that still one of the most difficult things youve had to choreograph?
What so youre going to hang me on wires?
Have my eyes closed and have a fight with Charlie Cox?
[makes a strained sound] It was one of those lovely, fantastic little moments that happens.
And another thing that Matthew is brilliant at is the final fight in anything.
So, youve got me dead, fighting Charlie Cox, being manipulated by Michelle Pfeiffer.
He loves the concept of an unusual fight.
So, in the firstKingsmanyouve got Sofia Boutellas character, Gazelle, with the metal legs fighting Eggsy.
So, the reason those fights work so well, is because there is an intimacy there.
You dont lose the power thats been building up to that moment in pure spectacle.
I think youre absolutely right.
Its going to make it unpredictable.
Yeah, his always have something unusual.
How has your relationship with Matthew Vaughn evolved over the years?
Now youre sort of several films down?
Weve become really good friends.
I mean every one of those films is good and has been successful and thats very unusual.
So, I admire his talent, but as a guy hes very loyal.
Hes an honorable, loyal guy.
Look at Ang Lee, he seemed to tackle every genre and then even he falters.
He was an Olympic diver wasnt he?
That would be my choice!
Mark Strong, thank you so much!
Kingsman: The Golden Circleis in UK cinemas now.
