Like its predecessors, the third entry in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series, titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, will feature an ensemble cast of well-known talents. Among the famous faces is a star whose casting could continue a rather bizarre franchise trend. The cast of Knives Out 3 has slowly been revealed in recent days, with some of the big names including Andrew Scott, Josh O’Connor, and Kerry Washington. Who exactly they’ll be playing is not yet known. However, with the addition of one particular cast member, a pattern has emerged.

The first film in the series, 2019’s Knives Out, was a hit with both audiences and critics. The success of the mystery movie led to a sequel, 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Taking inspiration from other popular entries in the mystery genre, such as the books of Agatha Christie, the Knives Out films have become known for their clever twists and gentle parodying of the tropes and clichés associated with the genre. Knives Out 3 will no doubt continue this trend, but there’s another, rather odd, franchise trend the new film also looks set to follow.

Jeremy Renner’s Casting In Knives Out 3 Could Continue An Odd Killer Trend

Some of His Former Co-Stars Have Already Appeared In The Movies

Among the stars who have joined the cast of Knives Out 3 is Jeremy Renner. Wake Up Dead Man will be Renner’s first movie role since the actor was involved in a vehicle accident in January 2023. Renner is best known for playing Clint Barton/Hawkeye in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Curiously, he’s far from the first MCU alumnus to appear in the Knives Out series. Chris Evans, who portrayed the MCU’s Steve Rogers/Captain America, also played the role of Ransom Drysdale in the first Knives Out film. Meanwhile, The Incredible Hulk star Edward Norton appeared in Glass Onion as Miles Bron.

The fact that each entry in the Knives Out series features a prominent star of the MCU is noteworthy in itself. What’s even more remarkable, however, is that both Chris Evans and Edward Norton’s characters turned out to be the killers of their respective movies. Jeremy Renner’s addition to the Knives Out universe means this trend could continue. After all, there’s every chance that Renner’s character will be revealed to be the killer in Knives Out 3.

It is worth noting that Dave Bautista, who played the role of Drax in several MCU movies, and Jessica Henwick, who portrayed Colleen Wing in Netflix’s Marvel TV shows, are also both cast members of Glass Onion. Unlike Evans, Norton, and Renner, however, Bautista and Henwick have never been the leads of their own Marvel movies or TV shows. Nevertheless, their roles in Knives Out 2 demonstrate just how often the mystery franchise has borrowed former MCU cast members.

Knives Out 3 Following The Franchise’s Villain Pattern Would Be Risky

There’s A Chance The Films Will Become Predictable

If Knives Out‘s villain pattern does continue and Renner’s character is revealed to be the killer of the third movie, the franchise is in real danger of becoming predictable and repetitive. Even before Knives Out 3 has been released, some audience members may already suspect Renner’s character on the basis of the first two films. In the same way that bad guys are never shown using iPhones in movies or TV shows thanks to Apple’s “no villains” clause, people could pick up on the pattern and assume that a Marvel star, therefore, equals the murderer.

Of course, for a film series that revels in twists and outwitting its audience, it certainly wouldn’t be a good thing if moviegoers started predicting the killer. However, there potentially are ways that the Knives Out series could spin the trend to make it work. Comedy plays a big role in the Knives Out movies, so it wouldn’t be uncharacteristic of the series to reference the unlikely pattern in a humorous or intelligent way. Knives Out 3 could even use the trend to subvert audience expectations if it does turn out that Renner’s character is the killer.