Argylle Director Matthew Vaughn Explains That Confusing Credits Scene
Spoilers for "Argylle" follow.
"Argylle" arrives in theaters this weekend (read our review here), delivering another action-packed spy movie from "Kingsman" franchise director Matthew Vaughn. Leading up to the film's release, there has already been some confusion surrounding the movie because of the source material that is said to have inspired the story.
You see, there's a novel on shelves also called "Argylle," released earlier this month, and it's written by author Elly Conway (not Taylor Swift). However, that also happens to be the name of the main character played by Bryce Dallas Howard in the movie "Argylle," where she's a spy novelist who ends up getting caught up in real-life intrigue and danger that mirrors the stories in her books. But when you seek out the details on the book in question, you'll see that the plot of the "Argylle" novel isn't the plot of the movie "Argylle." Here's the book's synopsis:
A luxury train speeding towards Moscow and a date with destiny. A CIA plane downed in the jungles of the Golden Triangle. A Nazi hoard entombed in the remote mountains of South-West Poland. A missing treasure, the eighth wonder of the world, lost for seven decades.
One Russian magnate's dream of restoring a nation to greatness has set in motion a chain of events which will take the world to the brink of chaos. Only Frances Coffey, the CIA's most legendary spymaster, can prevent it. But to do so, she needs someone special. Enter Argylle, a troubled agent with a tarnished past who may just have the skills to take on one of the most powerful men in the world. If only he can save himself first...
Yeah, that's not the plot of the movie "Argylle" at all. What's going on here?
Well, if you stick around to watch a credits scene after "Argylle" ends in theaters, you might have some idea of what's happening. Actually, in all honestly, you may walk away even more confused. But we're gonna try to break it down for you.
The Argylle credits scene
If you caught the mid-credits scene and weren't sure what you were supposed to take away from it, don't feel dumb. There are people whose job it is to cover entertainment for a living, and even they were perplexed as to the significance of the "Argylle" credits scene. Thankfully, we got a chance to chat with Matthew Vaughn about that credits scene and confirmed just what it might mean for the future of "Argylle." But we're not sure it will make certain details any less perplexing. First, let's recall the "Argylle" credits scene, but beware of major spoilers for "Argylle" from here on out!
The mid-credits scene flashes back 20 years and shows us the exterior of The King's Man tavern, so right away, we're thinking that "Argylle" will somehow tie in to the "Kingsman" universe. But rather than showing us any of the characters we've been introduced to in "Argylle," a scrappy teen walks into the bar with purpose. After asking the bartender for a drink "with a twist," he then strips away all the order's ingredients, indicating that all he wants is "the twist." The bartender, understanding the cryptic conversation unfolding, returns with a wooden box containing a gun and silencer, and he inquires who the young man is. He slow rolls his name a bit for dramatic effect by saying, "My name is Aubrey. Aubrey Argylle."
Suddenly, we cut to a poster that appears to be in Elly Conway's office that has a framed poster featuring the cover art for the "Argylle" book that's now on shelves. Finally, text shows up below the poster saying, "Book One, The Movie, Coming Soon." Do you get it?
Argylle, the book, may become a movie
Speaking with Matthew Vaughn leading up to the release of "Argylle," we asked about this mid-credits scene and confirmed that this is intended to tease the possibility of adapting Elly Conway's "Argylle" book into a movie. Here's what Vaughn had to say:
"Yeah, as you said, tease is the word, and it's more about, 'Hey, you know what? If everybody goes and buys tickets to these movies and makes it into a hit, there's a lot more ingredients that we want to play with and make some more fun, tasty movies for them.' But we need them to buy into the first one first."
Since they already used the title "Argylle" for the movie that isn't based on the book, what are they going to call the proper adaptation of the "Argylle" novel? That remains to be seen, and as Vaughn said, the mere existence of the movie depends on the box office turnout for the "Argylle" movie in theaters now.
At the same time, this mid-credits scene also complicates the story that unfolds within the "Argylle" movie, because of the twists that are revealed surrounding fictional author Elly Conway. Last warning for "Argylle" spoilers!
How many Argylles are there?
The marketing for the "Argylle" movie has been teasing the identity of "the real agent Argylle." When we finally see the movie, we learn that Bryce Dallas Howard's character Elly Conway is actually the real agent Argylle. Real name Rachel Kylle (Agent R. Kylle), the spy was injured during a mission and woke up with amnesia. While in the hospital, the leader of the villainous organization known as The Division (Bryan Cranston) and his right-hand scientist (Catherine O'Hara) pretended to be Rachel's parents and used psychological manipulation to convince Rachel that she was a reclusive writer.
After encouraging Rachel, now identified as Elly Conway, to start her writing career while recovering in the hospital, the "Argylle" series came to life. But rather than being fictional stories, they were actually memories of missions that Rachel executed. The Division was hoping to reach the point where Rachel lost her memory in order to get a key piece of information that would help them make their next move. In yet another twist, we end up learning that Rachel was actually a double agent working for The Division. But she makes the choice to turn her back on that life and stay loyal to her fellow spy and lover Aidan (Sam Rockwell), taking down The Division once and for all.
What the hell?
Now, this is what makes the mid-credits scene even more confusing. The "Argylle" movie shows us that Elly Conway is Agent "Argylle," albeit with a different name, and the character that she based her novels on is herself, not another agent who looks like Henry Cavill. Furthermore, all of the missions within the books are supposed to be based on Conway's memories as Rachel Kylle.
If that's the case, then who is this young Aubrey Argylle? Will we be watching him go on the same missions that Rachel did before she lost her memory? Or will Aubrey Aryglle be portrayed as a fictional character that exists in the "Kingsman" universe? If so, does that mean the entire "Kingsman" franchise exists as fiction within the "Argylle" movie universe? This doesn't even dig into the reveal in the final scene of the movie where Henry Cavill appears in-person at one of Elly Conway's author Q&A events, sporting a curly mullet and a southern accent, and indicating that he knows something else that Conway doesn't. Perhaps that's a conversation for another time.
Needless to say, even after breaking down all these details, we're filled with more questions than answers, but if audiences turn out to see "Argylle" this weekend, then we just might get some clarification on all of this.
"Argylle" is in theaters everywhere now.