The Knives Out franchise is known for its wide variety of famous actresses and actors, including the main cast and surprise cameo appearances. With this in mind, many fans wonder who will be in the next film now that the third installment is already in the works. So, without further ado, here are our picks of 10 actors we want to see in Knives Out 3 and the roles they can play in the upcoming story.
Lucy Liu (Role: The Rich CEO)
From the supreme head of a Tokyo gang to an elite secret agent, Lucy Liu has played many roles in various popular films. Each performance showcases her incredible talent, where she truly embodies every character. That said, we’d love to see her as a rich CEO in Knives Out 3 due to her ability to excel in leadership roles and stay on the theme of the franchise’s wealthy characters.
With this role, Lucy’s character could be the next well-off individual, like Miles Bron and Harlan Thrombey. This casting would also change the direction of the series because it has primarily been male leads for the head of the household.
Matt Berry (Role: The Rival Detective)
Since the release of Glass Onion, fans have wanted Matt Berry to star in the third installment of the Knives Out series, mainly because of his outstanding portrayal of the whimsical vampire Laszlo Cravensworth in the What We Do in the Shadows TV show. On top of that, Rian Johnson has responded to a Twitter post about the casting of this actor, in which he hints at Matt’s potential future role.
So, if Johnson includes Berry in Knives Out 3, he could definitely play a rival detective that goes against Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig.) Until this point, Blanc typically solves cases with his own techniques without the repercussions of someone else getting in his way. Therefore, Matt could use his talents within the comedy genre to create some fun competition between the two characters.
Florence Pugh (Role: The Eccentric Artist)
Florence Pugh is another fantastic actor we want to see in Knives Out 3 because of her brilliant performances in Midsommar, Black Widow, Little Women, and Don’t Worry Darling. Due to her previous horror roles, she would undoubtedly pull off a character in the murder mystery genre. One role we have in mind for Pugh is the eccentric artist, similar to the carefree personas of Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette) in Knives Out and Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) in Glass Onion.
Those who have kept up with the famous actress on social media know that Pugh already fully embraces her artistic side with fashion. Nevertheless, the third installment could feature an exaggerated version of this characteristic while also using her dramatic portrayals that we’ve seen in the past.
Viola Davis (Role: The Red Herring)
Viola Davis has been in many thrillers, including Disturbia, Prisoners, and How to Get Away with Murder. Based on her experience alone, this actress would excel in a crime-based film like the Knives Out series. However, since she has played heroic roles, it would be interesting to see her as a red herring, possibly misleading Benoit Blanc in another direction with the upcoming case.
What makes Viola an excellent candidate for this film is her ability to convey raw emotions, an essential talent of the murder mystery genre. In return, this enactment could trick the audience and Blanc, adding more twists and turns to the story.
Matthew Lillard (Role: The Worried Father or the Naive Sheriff)
Matthew Lillard is no stranger to the whodunnit genre of the movie industry, with his notable role as Stu Macher in Scream and the goofy Shaggy Rogers in the Scooby-Doo series. Considering these films, we’d love to see him in another mystery movie, but as a different character: a worried father or a naive sheriff. These types of individuals were shown in the original installment, and we believe Lillard could take these roles a step further thanks to his wide range of acting performances.
Because parental figures weren’t as prevalent in Glass Onion, Matthew could bring back this aspect since it did play a crucial part in the killer’s identity in Knives Out. On the other hand, Rian Johnson could reintroduce a naive cop-type, like Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan), for Lillard to maximize his skill of playing wide-eyed, nutty characters.
Jenna Ortega (Role: The Sidekick)
For the most part, the Knives Out franchise has mainly focused on adult figures with an absurd amount of money. Nevertheless, it would be fascinating to see how Benoit Blanc deals with someone from the younger generation because we’ve only watched him briefly interact with Meg (Katherine Langford) and Jacob (Jaeden Martell) Thrombey. Having said that, we believe Jenna Ortega should be in Knives Out 3 as a sidekick to the legendary detective.
This actress is well acquainted with murder-based narratives, like her roles in Netflix’s Wednesday and You. Furthermore, she knows how to play virtuous characters, a theme we’ve previously seen in the Knives Out films with Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) and Cassandra Bran (Janelle Monae.)
Pedro Pascal (Role: The Obvious Suspect Who Is Innocent)
Pedro Pascal has become a staple in the Hollywood industry thanks to his extensive portrayals of various characters. If you look at his career, you’ll see that he’s never stuck to one particular role, from the courageous main protagonist in The Mandalorian to the rebel DEA agent in the Narcos series. For that reason, Pedro would be a great addition to the Knives Out cast, where he could play the traditional role of a seemingly guilty character who is innocent.
To top it off, Pascal would blend well with Rian Johnson’s humoristic approach since he shines in playful roles, similar to his character in the comedy film, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Role: The Wealthy Playboy)
Joseph Gordon-Levitt played a massive role in Rian Johnson’s first directorial debut, Brick. Since then, the actor has been in every Johnson project, such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Looper, and Glass Onion. Although Joseph is technically in the two films of the Knives Out franchise (with his voice-over work), it would be nice to actually see him as a primary cast member.
One role we haven’t seen too much in this murder mystery series is that of a wealthy playboy, a character that would pair well with Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s charismatic tactics. Or, the actor could reprise his role as Detective Hardrock in Knives Out and be a rival against Blanc.
Aubrey Plaza (Role: The Victim)
Aubrey Plaza is known for her cold-hearted characters, including April Ludgate from Parks and Recreation, Eska in The Legend of Korra, and Ingrid Thorburn in Ingrid Goes West. Despite this, Plaza has proven her talents with other roles in comedies, thrillers, and romance storylines. To go along with the actress’s successful career, we want to see her play the victim in the next film of the Knives Out series.
Aubrey’s morbid performances in past projects could deceive audiences into thinking she would be the killer. Additionally, this bias could trick viewers further with her role as the victim, increasing the shock value of the third installment.
Stanley Tucci (Role: The Killer or the Pompous Businessman)
Many of the actors on this list have a broad range of roles, and Stanley Tucci is no exception. He’s played a quirky host in the Hunger Games series, a loving father in Easy A, and even a creepy killer in The Lovely Bones. With Knives Out 3, he could utilize his talents even more by playing a murderer once again or an arrogant businessman.
Of course, Tucci has already done the role of the killer, yet it would still bring something different to the table thanks to Johnson’s unique modern take on the murder mystery genre. The Knives Out films haven’t necessarily shown the killer as a bloodcurdling villain, like his role in The Lovely Bones; therefore, Stanley would be playing more of an idiotic or extremely intelligent individual.
Alternatively, Stanley Tucci could be a domineering businessman that could peeve Benoit, as we’ve seen in Glass Onion and Knives Out.
