Channing Tatum is set to take a break from his busy work keeping a straight face and pretending that that ridiculous 21 Jump Street / Men In Black crossover is still expected to happen: according to Variety, the actor has just signed on to the rapidly expanding cast of Kingsman: The Golden Circle, the upcoming sequel to Matthew Vaughn’s bloody 2015 spy comedy. Tatum made the announcement on Twitter, informing fans that he’s “about to get all up in that Golden Circle,” a phrasing that suggests he’s already mastered the subtle nuances of the franchise’s comedic tone.
Details about Tatum’s character are light, although we can likely deduce a few things from the image he attached to the tweet, which shows a pair of sunglasses overlaying a quote about Southern manners. (The film’s marketing team used a similar construction for an earlier tweet suggesting Colin Firth would likely be returning for the film.) Obviously, Tatum is playing a character with a deep concern for the safety of his eyes—and, possibly, the eyes of others—presumably stemming from his strong Southern background and attachment to his mother. (That, or the actor’s just been stuck in “Cajun accent mode” ever since Gambit got pushed back, and Vaughn and company are making the best with what they’ve got.)
Tatum joins a cast that’s been filling out nicely over the last few months, including Halle Berry and Pedro Pascal, who’ll be playing the American counterparts to the British Kingsmen, and Juliane Moore as the villain. Elton John is apparently also in talks to join the film for a “key role”—which, with any luck, will lead to him and Tatum teaming up for one hell of a choreographed dance number (exploding heads and all).