The full cast for the upcoming Kingsman prequel has been confirmed and it includes Stanley Tucci, among many others. There has been some confusion over the course of the last year with regard to which Kingsman film audiences will be getting first - Kingsman 3 or the equally intriguing prequel Kingsman: The Great Game. We now know that the prequel is first up, throwing a nice twist in the timeline.

The Kingsman film series took off in 2014, when the Mark Millar and David Gibbons comic Kingsman: The Secret Service was adapted by Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn. The film follows the exploits of an undercover government agency that utilizes street-smart recruits to battle evil agencies worldwide. Colin Firth took on the role of Harry Hart, lead mentor to the organization’s newest recruit, Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin - played by then-newcomer Taron Egerton. After smashing box-office receipts and expectations, the series returned in 2017 with with an even more impressive cast (and a hilarious action sequence featuring acclaimed musician Elton John) for Kingsman: The Golden Circle.

Though the next obvious step for the successful franchise seemed as though it would be Kingsman 3, we’ve since learned that instead, the next film will be the prequel Kingsman: The Great Game. And now, thanks to Deadline, the official cast has confirmed previous rumors, and will include Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Rhys Ifans, Daniel Bruhl, Matthew Goode, Harris Dickinson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Gemma Arterton, Tom Hollander, Robert Aramayo, Djimon Hounsou, and Charles Dance.

Since learning that the next film in the Kingsman series would not be Kingsman 3, fans have understandably been eager to learn as much as possible about Kingsman: The Great Game, particularly how it will fit in with the current established world of Eggsy and The Kingsman. What is known at present is that the film will take place during the World War I era, detailing the early 20th century origins of the revered organization with Harris Dickinson taking on a similar character arc as that of ‘Eggsy’ in the first Kingsman. Production on the new film is currently underway in the UK, while things are expected to get going on Kingsman 3 later this summer. As previously reported, it’s likely that priority was placed The Great Game prior to the arrival of Kingsman 3 in order to properly reference past events that will serve to flesh out the Kingsman brand.

With this confirmation of casting comes no small degree of excitement over what awaits Kingsman fans. Taking the film series back to its roots is a clever move on the part of Vaughn, and having already proven that the Kingsman series can actually handle a diverse and highly talented cast bodes well for the prequel. It’s perhaps tempting to think that Vaughn has taken on far too much with the Kingsman IP, what with a third film in the works as well as a TV series and spin off film planned, but so far, everything Kingsman has been worth its weight in gold. If Kingsman: The Great Game can find the same success that the previous two films have found, then it’s fair to say that the sky is the limit.