Shortly after Kingsman: The Secret Service became a box office hit last February, there was already talk of a sequel, with writer-director Matthew Vaughn teasing that he was working on the script. The filmmaker also said he was contemplating on whether or not he should bring back Colin Firth's Harry Hart, who was killed towards the end of the first movie, although plans to bring him back for the sequelhave since been discarded. Today, Deadline reports that a different seemingly-deceased character, Edward Holcroft's Charlie Hesketh, will be back for Kingsman 2.
While it isn't known if Edward Holcroft is returning as Charlie Hesketh or perhaps playing a completely different character, he joins a Kingsman 2 cast that includes Taron Egerton, reprising his role as Eggsy, Julianne Moore as the new villain and Halle Berry as the head of the CIA. 20th Century Fox has already issued a June 16, 2017 release date for the sequel, with production scheduled to begin later this year. Taron Egerton is currently filming Robin Hood: Origins, and he is expected to move directly from that movie to Kingsman 2.
In the original Kingsman: The Secret Service, Edward Holcroft's Charlie Hesketh was one of the Kingsman candidates who went through training with Eggsy and Roxy (Sophie Cookson). Both Eggsy and Charlie had a contentious relationship throughout the training program, and he was one of the final three candidates, alongside Eggsy and Roxy. Charlie was thought to have died after the nefarious Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) activated his Merlin program, which caused those who had the Merlin chip implanted to have their heads literally explode.
It isn't known yet if Sofia Boutella, Sophie Cookson, Mark Strong and Michael Cainewill reprise their roles from the first movie, but we'll surely find out more about the cast as we get closer to production starting. Kingsman: The Secret Service director Matthew Vaughn is returning to helm the sequel, working from a script he co-wrote with his wife and frequent collaborator, Jane Goldman. When Halle Berry signed on last week, it was revealed that she actually signed a two-picture deal, sparking rumors of a Kingsman trilogy.
Edward Holcroft made his acting debut in 2014's Vampire Academy, before landing the role of Charlie in Kingsman: The Secret Service. He has since gone on to star in the critically-acclaimed British series Wolf Hall, and London Spy. He will next be seen on the big screen in The Sense of an Ending, alongside Charlotte Rampling, Michelle Dockery, Emily Mortimer and Jim Broadbent.
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