How to watch the Kingsman movies in order
The last film in the spy franchise is set a century before the previous outings.
The most recent film in the Kingsman franchise was released on Boxing Day 2021 and took the series back to the beginning of the 20th century during the formation of the secretive spy agency as war in Europe raged on.
The King's Man features many comic realisations of real-life historical figures alongside the fictional characters found in comic book writer Mark Millar's world as they race to bring about or put a stop to a global conspiracy to harken the downfall of England.
Stars Tom Hillander and Rhys Ifans told RadioTimes.com that anyone wanting to watch The King's Man need not have watched the first two films in the franchise to have a good time.
"I mean, it will be enjoyable for people who have seen the Kingsman films, of course," Hollander explained. "For true core Kingsman fans, obviously this ticks boxes for them, and it is the origin story of the existing franchise. But for people who haven't seen them, it's a whole different... It's a film with its own identity and its own tone."
"In the same way that you can watch Bond, you know," Ifans went on to say. "I don't think it's a requirement at all to have seen the previous ones."
But if you can't decide which film to start with, we have both how to watch the Kingsman films in order of release and chronologically so that you can choose how you want to dive into the
How to watch the Kingsman films in order of release
The most simple way to watch the films is to do so in the order they were released in cinemas – starting with 2014's Kingsman: The Secret Service. You can find all the information about where to watch each entry in the franchise below.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
The very first film in the series introduced audiences to Gary Unwin aka Eggsy (Taron Egerton), a young man who is recruited to the eponymous secret service agency.
Before he can officially join up, he is put through his paces along with several other potential recruits – including Roxy (Sophie Cookson), whom he befriends – leading to one final challenge: being asked to shoot and kill a puppy.
Meanwhile, Kingsman agents led by Harry Hart are attempting to put a stop to an eco-terrorist named Richmond Valentine (Samuel L Jackson), and Eggsy soon finds himself providing vital help in the mission.
Among the film's highlights is a stunningly choreographed fight sequence set inside a hate group's church – scored by Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird.
Where to watch? Kingsman: The Secret Service is currently available to watch on Disney Plus.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
The second film in the series is a direct follow-up to the first, with Eggsy now having been given the codename Galahad.
Things get off to a fairly disastrous start – with Kingsman's headquarters being blown up by various enemies, killing several agents killed in the process – and so the survivors join forces with their US-based sister agency Statesman in order to fight back against a ruthless drug cartel.
The likes of Julianne Moore, Pedro Pascal, Halle Berry and Channing Tatum all join the cast for this instalment – while there's even a cameo from Sir Elton John, who plays himself and proves surprisingly useful to Kingsman's mission.
And there's also a major twist that upends some of the events of the first film – one which proved a little divisive among fans and critics...
Where to watch? Kingsman: The Golden Circle is currently available to watch on Disney Plus.
The King's Man (2021)
The newest entry in the series is the first not to be set in the modern-day – with the action instead unfolding more than a century ago, primarily against the backdrop of the First World War.
The central characters are Orlando and Conrad Oxford, an aristocratic father and son who have rather differing attitudes towards war, but who both find themselves fighting against an evil alliance of baddies that includes the likes of notorious Russian monk Rasputin.
The villains, who are headed up by a ruthless leader whose true identity is deliberately withheld from the audience, are hatching a plan to manipulate rising tensions in Europe to their own ends – with the goal of bringing about a global war, and ultimately the destruction of England. In the process of preventing them, we watch as the Kingsman organisation is born.
Where to watch? The King's Man is currently available to watch on Disney Plus.
- Read more: The King's Man end credits scene explained
Future Kingsman films
It looks like The King's Man won't be the last film in the franchise – with Vaughn keen to extend the series with future outings.
One film which is already confirmed is a third entry in the main series – reportedly subtitled The Blue Blood – which will follow on from The Golden Circle and serve as the conclusion of Eggsy and Harry's storyline.
Meanwhile, a potential spin-off focusing on American agency Statesman is also in development, although it's not clear exactly when it might arrive in cinemas, with nothing confirmed regarding possible production dates.
And Tom Hollander reckons there's lots of potential for further films in the vein of The King's Man as well, focusing on various different time periods.
"[Vaughn] has definitely got a whole load of stories in him," he said. "And he can reinvent Kingsman anywhere, probably. The idea of these Arthurian knights dropped into different historical contexts – there's no end of possibilities."
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How to watch the Kingsman films in chronological order
If you'd rather watch the films in chronological order from when they're set, the correct order is as follows:
The King's Man (2021)
The action here unfolds between 1902 (in a brief section at the opening) and 1918, making it by far the earliest film in terms of chronology. There are a few nods to the later films in the series – notably the significance of the tailor shop on Savile Row that will go on to become the organisation's headquarters.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
The first film is set pretty much a century after the prequel, with the events taking place over two years in 2014 and 2015.
Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017)
The second film is set one year on from the first, in 2016, and takes place over the course of one week. Chronologically, this is the last we have seen of the Kingsman agency so far – but the upcoming third film will expand this timeline further.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on tonight.
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