Describing Rasputin as enigmatic would be an understatement. From his role in influencing the outcome of World War I and the spell he seemed to weave over the Tsar’s family to his healing abilities and seductive powers, the Russian mystic blurs the line between legend and history like no other. The latest The King’s Man Official Trailer highlights Rhys Ifans’ portrayal of the magician as the film’s antagonist by putting him center stage. The trailer sets the tone of the film’s conflict by showing Rasputin leading a meeting of his secret order. As an ode to his enduring legend, the magician is portrayed as the architect of a secret society hellbent on launching the first world war.
Tasked with fighting the forces of evil, the trailer shows the Kingsman in the midst of the peril that comes with foiling Rasputin’s plot. This trailer is rife with more action than the previous one, giving audiences a look into the chaos of the outbreak of the war. The latest trailer also gives more insight into the cast of characters taken straight out of history, from Rasputin himself to Tom Hollander’s portrayals of King George V of England, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany. Given the fact that each of these monarchs were cousins, choosing a single actor to portray them adds a great bit of continuity. Famously, Nicholas II had posed for pictures with the George V and Wilhelm II in each other’s royal garb as a humorous nod to their doppelganger status. The ensemble is led by Ralph Fiennes and Harris Dickinson as the Duke of Oxford and Conrad, the film’s protagonists as the leader of the Kingsman and his newest recruit. The pair star as they usher in the foundations of the royal secret service in this series-setting prequel.