Kingsman’s Controversial Final Scene Replaced a Huge Moment Too Expensive to Film
Summary
- The original comic ending of Kingsman saw Eggsy saving celebrities, which was not adapted in the film.
- The movie changed the plot to influencers figures instead of celebrities, missing a pivotal final comic scene.
- Altering the final scene diminished Eggsy’s wish-fulfillment moment in the film, contrasted to the comic.
Between Kingsman’s film and comic universes, the series’ main protagonist, Eggsy, is put through the wringer as he tries to stop a threat that could kill millions, ultimately going on to save the world in an expected over-the-top manner. Yet the final scene in the comic was vastly different from what was in the movie, and thanks to Kingsman‘s overly expensive nature, the scene was instead replaced by a controversial one that didn’t service the story at all.
Following Gary London, aka Eggsy Unwin, as he goes from a poverty-stricken lad to a professional super-spy tasked with taking out a celebrity-napping villain, Kingsman’s comic started with the brutal death of Mark Hamill, a live-action role Hamill reprised not as himself, but as a fictional climate scientist instead.
Ending the movie with a crass joke related to Eggsy sleeping with a kidnapped princess — an NSFW moment that’s been called out by critics and fans alike — the comic ends with Eggsy being applauded by a roomful of his favorite celebrities, something that was far too pricy to film.
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Kingsman‘s Star-Studded Comic Finale Wasn’t Adapted For Film
Kingsman: The Secret Service (Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons)
An ending seen in the final issue of 2012’s Kingsman: The Secret Service by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons, yet not adapted in the film at all, the original finale saw Eggsy save a handful of celebrities — including David Beckham, Mick Jagger, Pierce Brosnan, Patrick Stewart, and more — after a successful all-out assault on Dr. James Arnold’s evil stronghold. Releasing the celebs from their prisons, Eggsy is commended by the former captives, with David Beckham specifically saying, “Nice one, mate. Well done. Excellent work,” a dream come true for a “rags to riches” character like Eggsy.
Doing away with a major plot point from the comics that saw James Arnold kidnap celebrities and instead changing it to people of influence being taken, there was a quick mention of pop star Iggy Azalea during a news report in the film that acts as a nod to that original idea but wasn’t further explored in any meaningful way. Throw in the fact that there’s no “budget” in a comic, as an artist is only limited by their imagination and deadlines, and adding in every celebrity under the sun really comes down to getting their likeness just right.
Kingsman‘s Controversial Final Scene Was Not In The Comics
And while most fans can understand the hurdles both financially and logistically of gathering a slew of celebrities together for what basically amounts to a bunch of glorified cameos, it’s worth noting that altering the original comic ending robs Eggsy of any kind of wish-fulfillment that a poor British kid like him would have dreamed about, lessening the impact of his character arc in a noticeable way compared to the comics. Kingsman is still going strong in comics and the live-action space, so maybe there’s hope yet for Eggsy to get the star-studded praise he deserves.
Kingsman: The Secret Service is available from Marvel Comics.
