Will Joseph Gordon-Levitt Reunite With Rian Johnson For Knives Out 3? I Had To Ask

Joseph Gordon-Levitt may have just finished working with Eddie Murphy on Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F., but we already have our sights set on what’s next, and I’m personally hoping that it’s Knives Out 3. The third film in Rian Johnson’s Benoit Blanc series feature the return of Daniel Craig as the Cajun sleuth, and if history repeats itself, Joseph Gordon-Levitt will make a cameo appearance as he did in both 2019’s Knives Out and 2022’s Glass Onion. But what are the chances that Gordon-Levitt could appear in a starring capacity instead of just a small part? I had to find out. 

While at the press junket for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F., I asked Joseph Gordon-Levitt if he’ll have a role beyond a simple cameo in Knives Out 3, officially titled Wake Up Deadman: A Knives Out Mystery, and he told me,

We had to expect that he would dodge such a question, but we were curious how he would dodge it. It seems that he and Rian Johnson are still good friends that have a great deal of respect for one another, and more importantly, Gordon-Levitt didn’t say “no.” So at least there’s that. Thus, my hope is still alive, and I am satisfied with “I don’t know” for now.

This response came after I opened up to Joseph Gordon-Levitt about my love for Rian Johnson’s first film Brick, a neo-noir indie flick that stars Gordon-Levitt as Brendan, a moody outsider who finds himself tied up in the drama of a high school drug ring. Not only is the film one of the best Joseph Gordon-Levitt movies, but it’s also in the best of modern film noir, and it was a career-launcher for Rian Johnson. 

The movie's critical success led to the filmmaker creating The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and eventually the Knives Out series (and let's not forget the Peacock mystery show Poker Face). At the time Brick got made, Gordon-Levitt was doing a lot of indie films, and one could argue that it was a project that helped pave the way for his mainstream success in recent years. No wonder he went on to say that Brick is “really important to me” during our interview, which you can see in the video at the top of this article.

But it’s not just Brick and Knives Out that features Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as the actor has made an appearance in every single Rian Johnson project – ranging from cameos to top billing. You’ll remember his famously Bruce Willis-y makeup for Looper, you may have heard his voice in The Last Jedi, he voiced the "Hourly Dong" in Glass Onion, and he even took on a front-and-center villainous role in the penultimate episode of Poker Face Season 1. It’s safe to assume that Joseph Gordon-Levitt will be in Wake Up Deadman in some capacity, as there’s no way they’ll break their streak now. We’ll just have to wait and see how large said role will be. 

Given the large, ensemble casts of the first two Knives Out films, there’s been a lot of speculation surrounding who will be appearing in Wake Up Deadman. Based on what we know so far, the cast is looking to be pretty epic. Jeremy Renner is on board after being referenced in Glass Onion (thus, he’ll potentially be playing himself), and he’ll be joined by the likes of Josh Brolin, Cailee Spaeny, Glenn Close and many more. Given that Tom Hardy’s name is still being thrown around as potential casting, it seems they’re nowhere near done filling up the call sheet, and we’ll keep you updated if there’s any more information on Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s potential return to the Rian Johnson-verse.  

While Wake Up Deadman is still in pre-production, you can see Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. on Netflix July 3. Based on what we know about the film, it’s easy to assume we’re in store for a delightful romp. Keep it here at CinemaBlend for news on everything else coming our way on the 2024 movie release schedule.