Argylle's Final Scene Teases A Sequel, But What Could Happen Next?
Beware of major spoilers for "Argylle" in the following article.
If you catch "Argylle" in theaters this weekend, you'll be treated to a spy action blockbuster packed with so many twists and turns that you can't help but have a good time. Director Matthew Vaughn delivers some wild action sequences, and Sam Rockwell teamed with Bryce Dallas Howard is a surprisingly fantastic pairing. But when a movie has so many plot twists, there's bound to be some confusion. For example, there's a credits scene that might leave some scratching their head if they haven't been keeping up with the inspiration behind the movie. But besides that, the ending of "Argylle" blatantly sets up a sequel with a reveal that adds a new wrinkle to what is arguably the movie's biggest twist.
In "Argylle," Bryce Dallas Howard plays Elly Conway, the author of the successful "Argylle" spy novel series. But she suddenly finds herself in danger when deadly spies begin hunting her down, believing that her books are somehow predicting the future outcome of a conflict between secret agent organizations. While one spy named Aidan (Sam Rockwell) is trying to keep her safe, an entire syndicate known as The Division (led by Bryan Cranston) is trying to snatch her.
However, as the story unfolds, Elly soon learns that the books she's written aren't coming from her imagination. Instead, they're memories of a life she once lived as a real spy named Rachel Kylle, which makes her Agent R. Kylle. Yes, Elly Conway is the real agent Argylle that the film's marketing so heavily teased, and the fictional agent as represented by Henry Cavill in Elly Conway's imagination and books is just that. However, as the final scene of "Argylle" teases, that may not necessarily be true.
The end of Argylle
At the end of "Argylle," Elly Conway has come to terms with her real life. Let's not forget that this includes learning that Rachel was also a double agent working for The Division, followed by betraying The Division and re-teaming with Aidan (her partner and lover) to take them down. But then, Rachel was forced to fight Aidan when The Division's chief scientist (Catherine O'Hara, who also posed as Elly's mother, with Bryan Cranston pretending to be Elly's father as part of a plan to brainwash Rachel Kylle into believing she was Elly Conway to begin with) used a series of trigger words (a la The Winter Soldier) and a certain music box to activate Rachel as a weapon to do as The Division commands. Thankfully, Rachel's ally Keira (Ariana DeBose), who was believed to be dead, survived a seemingly fatal gunshot wound (orchestrated by Rachel) and suddenly returned to break Rachel out of her psychological trance, and The Division was defeated.
Yeah, there's a lot going on in this movie, which is part of the fun. If you're still confused, you can check out a more thorough breakdown of the ending right here. But the big takeaway here again is that Elly Conway is the real agent Argylle, okay?
After all of that, Elly has settled back into a less dangerous life that doesn't involve being Rachel. She's released a new "Argylle" book as the final chapter of the character's story, and everyone seems to get a happy ending. But during a Q&A event for the final book's release, someone stands up. It's Henry Cavill, but he's not dressed as the dashing, debonair Argylle that Elly envisioned. Instead, he's wearing a yellow t-shirt, sporting a curly blond mullet, and speaking with a southern twang. He tells Elly, "I don't really have a question, but I'm sure you probably have some for me," as a wry smile appears on his face.
Elly immediately recognizes this man as looking like some kind of bizarro version of what she imagined her character Argylle to be like in her books. But since that character was only a manifestation used to cope with her own memories, how could this man so clearly look like Argylle and exist in the real world? What the hell is going on?
Argylle 2: Electric Boogaloo
During a press junket for the film, we asked director Matthew Vaughn about the final twist in "Argylle," and while he wouldn't divulge any hints as to what it means, he did confirm it's intended to set up a sequel:
"I can absolutely say that is the whole basis of 'Argylle 2,' and it's exactly to see Henry do stuff that you've never seen Henry do before."
Obviously, this is meant as a major cliffhanger to lead into an "Argylle" follow-up. Whether we actually get to see it or not depends on whether audiences show up in theaters. But hypothetically, if we think about what this means for the story, that could mean that Elly Conway isn't really Agent Argylle, and perhaps there's another level of brainwashing where Rachel Kylle was made to believe that she's Agent Argylle, when in reality, it's someone else entirely. After all, that whole "Agent R. Kylle" business seems a little bit flimsy, right?
So if Henry Cavill ends up being the real Agent Argylle, then what's Elly's real story? How much more wild can "Argylle" really get? With Matthew Vaughn in charge, anything is possible, and I really hope people give this movie a chance, if only so we can see what other bonkers twists and turns the filmmaker has up his sleeve. Would you like to see a hillbilly action-hero version of Henry Cavill on the big screen?
"Argylle" is playing in theaters everywhere now.