The first Kingsman movie was an unexpected success, so the announcement that a sequel would follow also took people by surprise, especially since Kingsman: The Golden Circle will expand the Kingsman universe without being based on already existing material. Add to that the fact that the sequel lost one excellent villain (Samuel L. Jackson, as delightful and over the top as possible), and one unlikely action hero (Colin Firth, in a role that completely broke the mold), and it appears that Eggsy had no chance of taking the critics and the box office by surprise.

Matthew Vaughn is set to return to the director's chair, which is always great news (he didn't for Kick-Ass 2, and we all know how that turned out). Colin Firth will also be back, although the actor hasn't said anything about it (remember the way he died in The Secret Service).

The cast has expanded to include Channing Tatum, Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Vinnie Jones, and Pedro Pascal, among others. So we don't have Samuel L. Jackson, but we have a new villain in Moore's Poppy, a Martha Stewart-ish global entrepreneur.

Here’s our first look at some of the main characters in the movie, including some of the Statesmen (via CBM):

In Kingsman: The Golden Circle, the Kingsman headquarters will be attacked and destroyed, and the entire world will be held hostage (Julianne Moore will have lots of fun as a villain). In order to defeat the enemy, the Kingsmen must unite with a recently discovered allied US organization.

If you want to know more, check out this CinemaCon footage description, via Screen Rant:

The footage begins with clips from the first movie recapping the journey of Gary "Eggsy" Unwin (Eggerton).

In the present day, Eggsy is being chased through London by gatling gun-equipped cars.

Eggsy fires off a missile from his car, which splits into three separate projectiles and destroys the other cars.

Someone is shown plotting ways to kill the Kingsmen.

The Kingsman mansion and tailor are destroyed.

To solve all of his issues, someone offers Eggsy a drink from a bottle that says “Kentucky”.

This leads to a trip to Kentucky, where Eggsy meets Channing Tatum's character.

Tatum has a southern accent, and is part of the U.S. version of the Kingsmen called the Statesmen.

Harry Hart (Colin Firth) is shown in a cell, and now has an eyepatch.

Several robotic dogs are killed.

An electric lasso (teased in the poster) severs someone in two.

Hart and Eggsy are reunited.

A fight breaks out on a ski lift and an American flag parachute opens.

Eggsy tells Tatum's character "That's very American." He responds, "F-k yeah."

The whole thing is set to Elton John's Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting.