Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man: A Knives Out Mystery boasts an extraordinary cast of characters, any of whom could wind up being the killer. With the first two films ranking among the best murder mystery movies of all time, anticipation is high for the third chapter in the Knives Out trilogy, starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc.

The third film in the series moves the action to a church in upstate New York. The trailer for Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man finally gives a glimpse into the murder itself, with Craig’s narration describing it as “dressed as a miracle.” While little is shown, it is made clear that Josh Brolin’s Monsignor Wicks is the film’s inciting victim.

Where the dark story goes from there is anyone’s guess. Glᴀss Onion: A Knives Out Mystery featured countless twists and turns, many of which reframed everything that came before, as did Knives Out. Rian Johnson has a great handle on telling a compelling and unexpected story, but some clues may help curious audiences to solve the mystery beforehand.

Monsignor Jefferson Wicks

Josh Brolin’s Monsignor Wicks is the victim in the latest trailer for Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and it is very unlikely that he could also be the killer. With that said, it is not impossible. His death could even have been the result of a failed attempt to perform a miracle.

The тιтle of the film is Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man, which is drawn from a U2 song, but it could also play into the story more literally. Hicks’ death might not be as final as it seems, and he may wake up in some way to kill someone else entirely.

Still, all of this feels like a reach. In all likelihood, Wicks will be the тιтular ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man, and he will remain that way, making him unlikely to be the killer.

Benoit Blanc

Benoit Blanc is the protagonist of this series, and turning him into the killer would be a terrible move. While Blanc has been shown to be deeply empathetic, and while it is unlikely that he will like Monsignor Hicks very much as a person, making him the killer would be a poor choice.

Blanc has an obsessive need to find the truth, and that energy has fuelled his efforts in both of the previous films. Twisting his story to make him the killer, who would then carry the knowledge of that truth from the beginning of the film, would make the entire film a façade, thereby ruining the journey.

It is not impossible that Blanc is the killer here, especially as this might be the final Knives Out movie. However, it would ruin Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man, and potentially even the entire trilogy.

Geraldine Scott

Mila Kunis plays the police chief in Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man, and while characters like this have been important parts of the investigations in this series of films, they have not been as directly linked to the murders.

Like Detective Elliott and Trooper Wagner in previous films, it is more than likely that Geraldine Scott will not be anything more than a member of the police to the story of Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man.

Her short appearances in the trailer make it appear as though Kunis’ role in the film will be small. Still, as a member of law enforcement in this unusual locale, she will likely play a significant role in solving this murder.

Samson Holt

Following in the tradition of Dave Bautista and Chris Plummer, Thomas Haden Church is the last billed on the poster, and is unlikely to be the killer. His character, Samson Holt, is the groundskeeper at the church, and will surely have much to offer to the investigation but is unlikely to be directly at fault.

The creepy groundskeeper archetype could certainly allow Holt to play a major role, and he could even hold a dark secret of his own that could help to solve the mystery in the end. However, it is far more likely for Holt to wind up as a victim in the film rather than being the killer.

Cy Draven

Daryl McCormack looks to be playing Vera’s son, Cy, and that familial dynamic could play into his role in the film. Little other details are known about his character in the story, but the actor has started to become known after appearing in Twisters, Peaky Blinders, and Bad Sisters.

There is much to speculate on Vera’s relationship with Wicks, and that could extend to Cy. However, there is little reason from the marketing so far shown to expect that Cy will be the killer. Instead, he will likely factor into the investigation in some unexpected other way.

Dr. Nat Sharp

Dr. Sharp looks like a bit of a buffoon from the trailer, which could give Jeremy Renner a great chance to ham it up. Reviews for the film, however, have also noted that there is a bit of darkness and misogyny to his character that has been encouraged in some way by Monsignor Hicks.

Sharp is unlikely to be a very likable character in the end, but he will likely be more akin to the selfish Drysdales from Knives Out in his actions rather than an actual killer. He mostly seems to have liked Hicks as well, which would make his motivations confusing.

Vera Draven

Kerry Washington’s best movies show that she has a great range, and she will likely bring a strong and dynamic performance to her character of Vera in the film. A lawyer whose father was linked to Wicks, Vera likely already has a negative opinion of the popular Monsignor.

It is clear that Wicks is a flawed man who has inspired some characters in some negative ways. Dr. Sharp’s misogyny is said to come from his being influenced by Wicks, which could have also occurred with Vera’s father.

If this is the case, Vera may have a strong motive in Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man. However, there is currently too much that is unknown about her character to place her any higher on this list.

Reverend Jud Duplenticy

Reverend Jud Duplencity looks to be a major character in the new film. He is a priest with a bit of a dark past who finds himself clashing with Monsignor Hicks. Following this, he winds up ᴀssisting Blanc in his investigation, taking a little too much of an interest in the events of the case.

Duplencity sounds an awful lot like duplicity, and there could be interesting twists to the story of Josh O’Connor’s character. He is clearly at odds with Hicks, and has a violent history, but he also seems like he might be too obvious a murderer in this case.

Duplencity is someone that Blanc will need to keep his eye on, but will not likely be the killer in the end.

Martha Delacroix

Martha Delacroix is shown to be a complex and emotional member of the church, and she is often seen in the trailers alongside Samson Holt. She shows great emotion at Wicks’ death, but there is also a clever bit of conniving that could be occurring in the background for her.

Delacroix certainly has some dark secrets, but what those secrets are is unclear. With an actor like Glenn Close cast in the role, there must be some complex dramatic depth to this role, and it would not be a surprise if she wound up being involved in the murder in some way.

With that said, two other characters seem like more likely candidates to be the killer at this time.

Simone Vivane

Cailee Spaeny is one of the most exciting young actors working today, but the footage from the trailer does not give much focus to her character. It could be ᴀssumed that her cellist, then, only plays a small role in the film, but what seems more likely is that her role is more like Janelle Monáe’s Andi in Glᴀss Onion.

After big roles in Civil War, Priscilla, and Alien: Romulus, Spaeny is hugely in demand and is unlikely to follow those films with a small, throwaway part in Wake Up ᴅᴇᴀᴅ Man. In addition, the trailer shows several stylistic sH๏τs of Spaeny playing cello, suggesting that some of her story in the film might move away from the church setting.

There is clearly more to Spaeny’s character than has been seen, and she also has what seems to be the least obvious connection to Wicks in the story. Her role in the film is sure to be an unexpected one, and this could result in her being the killer by the film’s end.

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