Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service is packed full of Easter eggs, including references to James Bond and many other famous spy movies. It’s fair to say that the Kingsman franchise wouldn’t exist without Bond, so there are countless small references to 007 peppered throughout the three movies so far. However, there are many other Easter eggs to find.
Kingsman: The Blue Blood seems to be in limbo at the moment, as does the Second World War spinoff The King’s Man 2. This hasn’t stopped fans from rewatching the first three movies. In the years since its release, Kingsman: The Secret Service has maintained its popularity, partly because its Easter eggs give the audience some hidden details to look out for on a rewatch.
15
Kingsman’s Naming Tradition Plays On A Popular James Bond Fan Theory
Kingsman Agents Use Code Names Inspired By King Arthur’s Knights
Kingsman’s agents are named after Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table from British mythology, and new agents receive the code names of their predecessors, hence why Roxy becomes Lancelot. This may allude to the popular James Bond fan theory that the name “James Bond” is merely a code name pᴀssed along from one agent to another, which explains how Bond can be so many different people in so many different decades, from Sean Connery up to the present day.
14
Kingsman’s Gadgets Refer To Several Bond Movies
The Armory Is Stuffed With Bond Easter Eggs
When Harry shows Eggsy the gadgets inside Kingsman’s arsenal, it creates an opportunity for Matthew Vaughn to leave some Easter eggs which refer to many classic James Bond movies. The knife-tipped shoe which Eggsy later uses to kill Gazelle is a nod to Rosa Klebb in From Russia With Love, the poisoned pen and the watch with powerful darts are both references to Moonraker, and the cigarette lighter that doubles as a grenade is taken from Tomorrow Never Dies. When Harry talks about the shoe with a phone in the heel, this refers to the ’60s spy show Get Smart, not Bond.
13
Many Of The Stunts Also Pay Tribute To Bond
Kingsman Strikes The Right Balance Between Homage And Creativity
Some of the best action scenes in Kingsman seem to be tributes to classic James Bond sequences, but Matthew Vaughn injects enough of his own ideas for these scenes to feel fresh and original. The ski chase could reference any number of Bond movies, while Eggsy’s brief parkour escape echoes Casino Royale and the reverse car chase could build on a moment from For Your Eyes Only. Kingsman: The Secret Service mixes these with plenty of original action scenes which are just as thrilling.
12
Valentine’s Lisp Was Inspired By Old Bond Villains
Samuel L. Jackson Added His Own Flair To The Character
Fans of Samuel L. Jackson may know that the actor went through speech therapy to get rid of a lisp, hoping that it would boost his career. However, there’s more to Valentine’s lisp in Kingsman than this. Jackson decided to add the lisp to reflect the fact that many James Bond villains have physical deformities of some kind, like Blofeld’s scar or Dr. No’s metal hands. Matthew Vaughn approved of Jackson’s bold character choice, and it’s hard to imagine Valentine without his lisp.
11
Eggsy’s Martini Order
Kingsman Plays With Its James Bond Tributes
One of the most iconic hallmarks of the James Bond franchise is 007’s martini order, “shaken, not stirred“. No Bond parody or homage would feel complete without a reference to martinis in some way. Even more recent Bond movies like Casino Royale have joked around with this trope. In Kingsman, Eggsy proves that he isn’t much like Bond after all, as he asks for a gin martini, stirred rather than shaken. This is a sly joke about how the Kingsman franchise wants to set itself apart from Bond while still acknowledging its roots.
10
Eggsy’s Dog Is Named After A Character From 24
The Initials J.B. Could Stand For A Few Things
As part of their training, Kingsman agents are given dogs to take care of. This is something that separates Kingsman from its James Bond roots, since no movie has shown 007 in training. Eggsy names his pug J.B., which is short for Jack Bauer, Kiefer Sutherland’s heroic character from the TV series 24. While others ᴀssume J.B. stands for Jason Bourne, the fictional spy from Robert Ludlum’s novels, nobody at Kingsman suggests that it could also mean James Bond.
9
Mark Hamill’s Character Puts A Humorous Twist On The Graphic Novel
Mark Millar’s Comic Books Feature The Star Wars Actor In A Different Way
Mark Hamill only appears in a couple of scenes in Kingsman: The Secret Service, but fans of the comic books will be pleased to see him. Although Matthew Vaughn’s movie changes a lot from Mark Millar’s work, the inclusion of Hamill is a respectful nod to his source material. In Millar’s The Secret Service, Kingsman agents must rescue Mark Hamill from the chalet. While Hamill doesn’t play himself in the Kingsman movie, his presence is an Easter egg for fans of the comic book. The Kingsman franchise certainly isn’t above celebrity cameos, but Hamill plays a more important role.
8
The Kingsman Hangar Has An Easter Egg For Beatles Fans
Kingsman Agents Have More Than Black London Cabs
The most recognizable vehicle in the Kingsman franchise is the black cab which agents use on multiple occasions. However, a brief look inside the Kingsman hangar shows that there are plenty of cars, planes and more that haven’t been used in the movies. Fans of The Beatles might be able to spot a yellow submarine. While it isn’t exactly like the one seen in the 1968 animated movie, it’s too big of a coincidence to ignore, especially since Matthew Vaughn is such a big Beatles fan that he got permission to use “Now and Then” in Argylle before it was even officially released.
7
The Kingsman Glᴀsses Look Like A Reference To The Ipcress File
Harry Palmer’s Glᴀsses Have Become An Emblem Of The British Spy Genre
Michael Caine brings a touch of class to Kingsman, and the movie pays tribute to his iconic spy character from the 1960s. Caine first played Harry Palmer in 1965’s The Ipcress File, which was praised as a grittier alternative to the early James Bond movies. While the franchise didn’t have the same longevity, Palmer still went down in spy genre history, and his recognizable glᴀsses can be seen in Kingsman, as the agents wear similar-looking specs. Of course, some spy movie fans might ᴀssociate the thick-rimmed glᴀsses with Austin Powers instead, and it’s worth noting Caine’s appearance in Goldmember alongside Mike Meyers.
6
The Tailor Could Be A Nod To The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Kingsman Is Based On A Real-Life Fashion House
The Kingsman agency uses a swanky high-end tailors as a front for their secret organization, which is something that fans of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. might recognize. While this could be a tribute to the ’60s spy show, the ᴀssociation of Saville Row tailors and espionage goes back even further. Kingsman is inspired by the real-life tailors known as Huntsman, which some people have speculated has ties to British Intelligence dating back to the First World War. While this is probably just an urban legend, The King’s Man gives this popular theory a fun origin story.