Mark Hamill's Kingsman Cameo Explained - Screen Rant

Summary

• Mark Hamill's cameo in Kingsman: The Secret Service is memorable, showcasing his recognizability and adding to the film's success.
• Mark Hamill plays against type as James Arnold, a cowardly character whose death leads the Kingsman on a mission to stop the villains.
• In the comic book version, Mark Hamill's character is actually the real actor himself, adding a comedic twist to the story and setting the tone for the franchise.

Mark Hamill has a cameo in Kingsman: The Secret Service and while it is only a brief scene, it's very memorable. Kingsman: The Secret Service is the first movie in the Kingsman franchise and introduces the world of the posh but dangerous British secret agents. In the tongue-in-cheek action-comedy film, the rebellious young Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Taron Egerton) is recruited by Harry Hart (Colin Firth) into the secret Kingsman society. There he helps the ancient and legendary order thwart a megalomaniacal eco-terrorist named Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson), who wants to save the earth by killing most of the people on it.

The film premiered in February 2015 and was a box office hit, earning $414 million at the box office (via Box Office Mojo). Its financial success combined with rave reviews led to two more films in the series: Kingsman: The Golden Circle and the prequel The King's Man. Kingsman's wickedly funny dialogue, eccentric and colorful characters, and charming cast combine for an exciting spy spoof. The cast in particular is a significant reason for the film's success, with veteran actors such as Mark Strong and Michael Caine also participating. Mark Hamill brings his massive recognizability in a cameo that's as violent and funny as anything in the film.

RELATED: Cast, Story & Everything We Know About Kingsman 3

Mark Hamill Plays Professor James Arnold In Kingsman: The Secret Service

In Kingsman: The Secret Service, Mark Hamill appears as James Arnold, a professor of physics at the Imperial College of London. At the start of the film, Lancelot (Jack Davenport) tracks James to a mountain home in Argentina where he is being held captive by Valentine. After the rescue goes awry, Valentine asks James to help save the planet and inserts a microchip into his neck before allowing him to leave. When Hart discovers James has been released, he tracks him down to ask why. However, before he can get an answer, Valentine secretly detonates the chip in James' neck and the professor's head explodes in a colorful cloud.

It's James' death that leads the Kingsman to track his radio chip back to Valentine. It's the first clue that lets the agency know there is a worldwide problem. James' death also foreshadows the finale, showing just how the villains of the film will meet their explosive end. Mark Hamill plays against type in Kingsman. Often portraying a heroic, surly, or even evil character, James is much more cowardly. The casting fits right in with the goofy tone of the movie to have someone best known for playing Luke Skywalker cowering on a sofa while others do the fighting for him.

Mark Hamill Was Actually A Character In The Kingsman Comic Book

Kingsman: The Secret Service makes some changes from the comic it's based on. One of these actually involves Mark Hamill — not Mark Hamill's character, but the actual real person. In the comic, a member of the Kingsman travels to a mountain sanctuary to rescue a captive, but instead of the captive being Professor James Arnold, it's literally Mark Hamill the actor. Unfortunately, this version of Hamill does not survive either, as he and his would-be-savior crash into a mountain during their parachute escape. About his appearance, Hamill said (USA Today):

"[Millar] said, 'Basically you've been kidnapped as a celebrity and you're rescued by the Secret Service and there's this mad pre-title sequence that emulates the Bond films where you're spirited away on a toboggan and there's this dash down a mountainside in the alps. There's a spectacular sequence and then you go sailing out over a cliff and plummet to your death.' Well, that's unexpected."

Kingsman: The Secret Service is as comedic as it is violent and the idea of replacing Mark Hamill with a different character played by Hamill himself is a brilliant and winking way to set the tone of the franchise.

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• Kingsman: The Secret Service

  Release Date:

  2015-02-13

  Director:

  Matthew Vaughn

  Cast:

  Michael Caine, Taron Egerton, Colin Firth, Mark Hamill, Samuel L. Jackson, Mark Strong

  Runtime:

  2h 10m

  Genres:

  Action, Adventure, Thriller

  Writers:

  Matthew Vaughn, Jane Goldman

  Summary:

  Based upon the acclaimed comic book by Mark Millar (Kick-Ass) and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class), Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.The 2014 British movie was directed by Matthew Vaughn and co-written by Jane Goldman, and follows the journey of Gary 'Eggsy' Unwin (Taron Egerton) from being a juvenile delinquent to being a secret agent called a Kingsman.Eggsy is the son of a former secret agent named Lee Unwin, who sacrificed himself in a mission to save his fellow agents. One of the survivors, Harry Hart (Colin Firth) also known as Galahad, felt responsible for Lee's death and tells his widow Michelle (Samantha Womack) to call him should she and her son ever need help.Years later, the 17-year old Eggsy gets arrested and decides to call on Hart, also known as Galahad. Galahad, seeing the potential in the young Unwin, tells him about the secret organization his father was once a part of and recruits him.Eggsy proves to be a naturally skilled spy but his journey to finally accepting what he is meant to do is not easy. The main villain of the movie is Valentine (Samuel Jackson) a mad entrepreneur who wants to turn humans against each other so all except a handpicked few survive.Hart dies in an encounter with Valentine and Eggsy discovers that not all Kingsman should be trusted. With the help of a senior Kingsman, Merlin (Mark Strong) and fellow trainee Roxy (Sophie Cookson), Eggsy stops Valentine from completing his plan.The comic series which was originally known as The Secret Service was eventually rebranded to Kingsman: The Secret Service, just like the movie. The secret service organization in the comic was originally referred to as M16 but publications that came after the film also followed the Kingsman reference.A movie sequel titled Kingsman: The Golden Circle, still directed by Vaughn, is due to be released in theaters on September 22, 2017.

  Budget:

  81–94 million

  Studio(s):

  20th Century

  Distributor(s):

  20th Century

  Sequel(s):

  Kingsman: The Golden Circle, The King's Man

  Franchise(s):

  Kingsman