Wake Up Dead Man's First Look Photo Gave Me A Theory About Josh O'Connor’s Role In Knives Out 3

Easily, one of my most anticipated releases on the 2025 movie schedule is the third Knives Out movie, Wake Up Dead Man. I can’t wait to see what Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig have up their sleeves for Benoit Blanc’s next mystery, and I’m dying (pun intended) to know what roles everyone in this staked cast is playing. However, while the characters and their purposes in the story remain unknown, I have a theory about the part Josh O’Connor will play in this new whodunnit thanks to a first-look image.

In one of the first images released from Wake Up Dead Man (which you can see below), we got to see Daniel Craig back as his ever-dapper Benoit Blanc. He’s standing in a church and looking a bit shaggier than usual – which I’d like to know more about. However, more interestingly, Josh O’Connor’s character is standing right behind him, leaning against a pew.

It’s fascinating to me that in this first-look image, we only got to see two actors featured in this truly stacked cast. However, it gave me a theory. I think Josh O’Connor could be playing the central character in this Knives Out mystery who is integral to the murder and taken under Benoit’s wing.

Think about it, in Knives Out cast, Ana de Armas plays the seemingly innocent Marta who is basically attached to Benoit’s hip as he works to solve the case. She was vital in figuring out who killed Harlan, and ultimately, she was the big winner in the story.

When you think about the Glass Onion cast, Janelle Monáe’s character (sorry, spoilers) Andi/Helen had a similar purpose in the story. She is on the island to figure out what happened to her sister, and she and Craig’s detective work together to do just that.

I suspect that if Josh O’Connor is the only supporting actor featured in Wake Up Dead Man’s first image, his character could fall into this place within the mystery. He could be the lynchpin of the story and a fantastic assistant to our favorite Southern detective.

He’d be perfect for the part too! Like both de Armas and Monáe, he can do just about anything, and I expect he’ll have exceptional chemistry with Daniel Craig, as the two actresses did.

After watching O’Connor’s Actors on Actors interview with Craig, I’ve seen how funny they can be together, and I desperately need that to translate on screen in Wake Up Dead Man. I can imagine the Challengers star following the detective around in a confused and silly manner that has the potential to perfectly balance out the seemingly darker mystery – considering the film’s deadly title – Rian Johnson has planned. Honestly, they seem like a match made in actor heaven, and I think it’d be a blast to see them solving a murder together.

Of course, this is simply a theory, and anyone in this cast could serve as the detective’s right-hand witness. And while I don’t know if my dream here will pan out, I know I won’t be disappointed no matter what happens. Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig haven’t failed us with these films, and with a cast that includes O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner and many more, I’m positive we’re going to be in for one hell of an entertaining mystery.