SPOILERS for Wake Up Dead Man are below!
Wake Up Dead Man made its Netflix debut, and the latest Rian Johnson murder mystery continues a unique franchise trend. Each Knives Out film has featured a twisty narrative that navigates a variety of eccentric suspects before Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc delivers his clever deductions to solve the case. Each film in the series has delivered humorous whodunit thrills, along with a stellar cast, each offering their own shocking reveal of who the killer ultimately is.
Wake Up Dead Man offers a distinct change in the killer, giving fans three culprits who each had a hand in the murder plot. However, even with three new killers, the latest Knives Out movie has cemented a unique statistic in that all the murderers in the franchise are also Marvel stars. Even if unintentional, the ensemble cast always ends up pointing to a Marvel actor, with the trilogy embracing it with each installment.
Every 'Knives Out' Killer Is Also a Marvel Star
'Knives Out' Features Captain America Star Chris Evans as the Killer
Chris Evans sitting as Ransom in Knives Out
Lionsgate
When Knives Out hit theaters in 2019, it featured an impressive cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, and Ana de Armas. It also saw Captain America actor Chris Evans playing the family's entitled son, Ransom. By the time Evans appeared in Knives Out, he had already been playing the Marvel hero for years, having appeared in his own franchise of films and the Avengers team-up movies. Even with the MCU star playing a less-than-likable character, most watching the murder mystery likely hadn't pinned the blame on him.
Evans is ultimately revealed to be the killer of Christopher Plummer's Harlan Thrombey, after Blanc's relentless, and often funny, integration of the family, and even twists that misdirect the audience. The image the actor presented as Captain America helped keep Evans off the audience's radar, with the final reveal of his guilt being a fun change of pace from his straight and narrow superhero character.
'The Incredible Hulk's Edward Norton Was the Killer in 'Glass Onion'
Netflix
Glass Onion offers fans of Johnson's mystery franchise another ensemble cast that features an impressive lineup, with Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, and Edward Norton. Norton's lauded career has seen him play characters of varying degrees of morality, like American History X
Bron proves to be the culprit behind Glass Onion's murder plot, hoping to cover up information that could lead to his downfall. The reveal also puts another Marvel star at the center, with The Incredible Hulk star being the killer. Norton's time as the superhero was short-lived, only appearing in the 2008 MCU as starting sidekick to Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man before he was replaced by Mark Ruffalo, who continues to play the Hulk in the MCU to this day.
'Wake Up Dead Man' Features 3 Marvel Stars as a Killer Trio
Wake Up Dead Man changed things, giving the third installment a trio of killers rather than someone acting alone. After the murder of Monsignor Wicks, there is another star-studded cast of suspects, each with a motive to take the corrupt man of the cloth down. The final reveal ends up proving to be three people working together to pull off an elaborate scheme made to look like a resurrection, much like Jesus. When Blanc's investigation comes to its revelations, Glenn Close's Martha, Thomas Haden Church's Samson, and Jeremy Renner's are all implicated in the murder.
Even with three killers, they all still happen to be Marvel stars. Close played Irani Rael, leader of the Nova Corps in Guardians of the Galaxy, and Renner has been the MCU's Hawkeye for over a decade, having appeared in Avengers films and his own series. Church was also the star of a Marvel movie, playing Flint Marko, who becomes the Sandman in Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man 3. The Sandman character also returned for Spider-Man: No Way Home, barreling his way into the MCU. It almost feels too coincidental not to have been realized by Johnson when casting, but Wake Dead Man continues the director's odd trend of turning Marvel actors into murderers.
The 'Knives Out' Films Also Feature Marvel Stars Who Aren't Murderers
The Knives Out films also feature other Marvel actors who aren't killers. Kathryn Hahn, who stars in Agatha All Along, appeared in Glass Onion with Dave Bautista, who has played Drax throughout the Guardians of the Galaxy movies. Iron Fist actress Jessica Henwick also appears in Glass Onion, bringing the world of Netflix's Marvel shows to the murder mystery cast. Even Jeffrey Wright, who has a small role in Wake Up Dead Man, voices the Watcher in Marvel's What If…?.
Notably, Josh Brolin plays the victim in Wake Up Dead Man, being killed by other Marvel stars. He's no stranger to a villainous turn, though, as his time in the MCU as Thanos saw him bring the universe's biggest threat to horrifying life. Brolin also appeared in Deadpool 2 as Cable, giving him a double-dip in Marvel projects. Buatista's Duke Cody is one of the victims in Glass Onion, also showing that Johnson has a penchant for dispatching Marvel heroes as well.
It honestly seems like Johnson just knows good casting when he sees it, with the Knives Out franchise's connection to Marvel being coincidental. Still, it's fun to see actors known for playing Marvel heroes stepping into murderous roles. If Knives Out 4 comes to fruition, it will be interesting to see who ends up playing the killer and whether Johnson's Marvel trend continues.
