Spoilers for all three “Knives Out” films follow.
Rian Johnson proved himself a master of the thriller with his Benoit Blanc murder mysteries “Knives Out”, “Glass Onion” and “Wake Up Dead Man”, all three of which kept the audience guessing until their breathtaking climaxes, where Daniel Craig’s brilliant detective, with the invaluable help of one of the suspects, reveals everything. These are essentially star-studded episodes of “Columbo” where the how is usually more fascinating than the who, which is a good thing because, three films into the series, Johnson might be tipping his hand slightly.
I hope you’re reading this article after watching all three movies, because I’m about to spoil them.
Although the films are very different in tone and certainly in location, there is a common thread that ties the film’s murderers together. In the first film, Chris Evans’ Hugh Ransom Drysdale is the abuser of his wealthy grandfather Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). In the second film, it is Miles Bron, Edward Norton’s tech billionaire, who is guilty of murder. And in the most recent film, we get a two-fer in Jeremy Renner’s Dr. Nat Sharp and Glenn Close’s Martha Delacroix.
What do these characters have in common? Nothing really. The actors, however, are linked by one element of casting: they have all starred in Marvel films.
A Marvel Murder Cinematic Universe
Evans is obviously Steve Rogers/Captain America, while Norton played Bruce Banner’s “The Incredible Hulk” in 2008. We all know Renner is Clint Barton/Hawkeye, while Close played Nova Prime Irani Rael in the first “Guardians of the Galaxy.” Is Johnson, who has never been associated with a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, trying to tell us what he thinks of the cinematic brand?
Of course, Johnson is no stranger to franchise cinema himself, having directed “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi,” so it’s unlikely he has any ill will for superhero films. I also doubt this is intentional because, let’s face it, many active cast members have found their way into the MCU over the years. When casting one of these mysteries, Johnson might have a harder time finding actors who don’t have been in a Marvel movie than those who did.
Still, when he starts directing the fourth film in the series, you might want to take note of which actors spent time in spandex. Maybe they just have murder on their minds. That’s why the next installment of “Knives Out” is expected to be cast solely with Craig and his dogs.
