Jeremy Renner’s no rookie when it comes to blockbuster franchises, having played Hawkeye across the Marvel Cinematic Universe since popping up in Thor back in 2011. Now, he’s stepping into the twisty world of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third chapter in Rian Johnson’s slick whodunit series. While chatting about his memoir My Next Breath on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Renner let slip a juicy nugget: filming Knives Out 3 feels a lot like working on an MCU flick. Spoiler alert—it’s not about car chases or explosions. It’s all about the secrecy. Here’s the lowdown on why Renner’s latest gig is giving him Marvel vibes and what it means for Benoit Blanc’s next puzzle.
A Mystery as Tight as a Marvel Vault
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery brings back Daniel Craig as the drawling, sharp-as-a-tack detective Benoit Blanc, diving into what Johnson calls his “most dangerous case yet.” The cast is a murderer’s row of talent—Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Josh O’Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Mila Kunis, and Renner himself. But good luck getting any details. Renner told podcast host Josh Horowitz that the set’s secrecy is straight out of the MCU playbook. “It’s like a Marvel movie,” he said with a laugh, hinting at how little he’s allowed to spill.
Marvel’s secrecy game is legendary. Renner’s been through it all—scripts locked down tighter than Stark’s armor, actors sometimes clueless about who’s in their scenes. He once told MovieWeb during Avengers: Endgame press that he had “no clue” what the final film would look like until it hit screens. Knives Out 3 is playing the same game. Renner admitted he’s got scant details on how his role fits into Johnson’s puzzle, shrugging, “I can’t say much. I don’t know.” It’s the kind of coy dodge he’s perfected from years of Marvel press tours.
Rian Johnson, writing and directing again, is keeping things hush-hush to protect the film’s twists. Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022) thrived on their shock reveals, and Wake Up Dead Man is clearly aiming to keep fans guessing. Renner’s zipped lips—honed from dodging MCU spoiler traps—show just how seriously Johnson’s guarding this mystery.
From Hot Sauce to Full-On Role
Renner’s Knives Out story has a funny twist. In Glass Onion, he “starred” as a hot sauce brand, “Renning Hot,” with his face on a bottle that helped crack the case. Fans had a field day, joking that his cameo ruled him out of future roles—after all, he’s a celebrity in the Knives Out universe. Horowitz teased him on the podcast, saying, “I was so smug—‘Jeremy, you can’t be in a Knives Out movie, it’s canon!’” Renner cracked up, and just 48 hours later, his casting was announced.
Johnson’s since confirmed Renner’s got a “proper part” this time, no sauce bottles required. “Jeremy’s an actor I’ve wanted to work with forever,” Johnson told MovieWeb. “He thought the hot sauce bit was hilarious, so we’re keeping the sauce off-screen.” Renner’s role is still a big question mark—suspect, victim, or something else? He sidestepped Horowitz’s questions about playing himself or a fictional character, only hyping Johnson as “crazy smart” and raving about the “insane” cast.
The hot sauce gag adds a playful layer. Glass Onion loved poking fun at real-world celebs, and Renner was all in, even pitching actual “Renning Hot” bottles to hype the film. But Wake Up Dead Man has him as a fictional player, not a meta version of himself. The secrecy around his character’s place in the story? Pure MCU, where Renner’s learned to smile, nod, and let the movie speak for itself.
Why It Feels Like Marvel Territory
Renner’s MCU run—Thor, The Avengers, Age of Ultron, Civil War, Endgame, and the Hawkeye series—taught him to roll with projects where the full picture’s a mystery. He’s worked on Marvel sets with green screens galore, never quite sure how the VFX-heavy final cut would land. Knives Out 3 might not have Thanos-sized battles, but its locked-down script and twisty plot give off the same “trust the process” energy. Renner’s read the script and called the ensemble “wild,” but his “I don’t know” shtick hints Johnson’s keeping even the actors guessing.
The Marvel comparison also nods to the film’s big stakes. Knives Out raked in $312 million on a $40 million budget, and Glass Onion clocked 136 million Netflix views. With Netflix dropping $450 million for two sequels, Wake Up Dead Man—set for a 2025 release with a short theatrical run—is under pressure to deliver. It’s the kind of high-wire act Renner knows from Marvel’s blockbuster machine.
This role’s also a big deal for Renner personally. It’s his first film since a January 2023 snowplow accident that left him with 38 broken bones and a collapsed lung. After a brutal recovery, he’s back, shooting Mayor of Kingstown Season 3 and now joining Johnson’s crew. His grit and dark humor—joking about watching horror flicks in the ICU—make his Knives Out comeback a win.
What’s Cooking for Renner and Knives Out?
Fans are buzzing about Renner’s role, especially with Knives Out’s knack for casting ex-MCU heroes like Chris Evans (Captain America) and Edward Norton (Hulk) as villains. As Hawkeye, Renner fits the pattern, fueling talk he might be the bad guy. But Johnson’s too tricky to fall into obvious traps, and a predictable villain reveal would spoil the fun. A set photo of Blanc in a church hints at a Catholic Church angle, but Renner’s part is still anyone’s guess.
Renner’s just stoked to be there. He told Horowitz the cast and Johnson’s smarts were the big draw, calling it a no-brainer to sign on. The MCU-style secrecy only amps up the excitement, keeping everyone in the dark until the credits roll. As Wake Up Dead Man preps for its 2025 Netflix drop, Renner’s Marvel comparison sets the vibe: expect a tightly guarded, twist-filled ride.
Is Renner a schemer, a victim, or just a guy caught in Blanc’s web? We’ll find out when the clues unravel. For now, he’s channeling his inner Hawkeye—staying cool, keeping quiet, and letting Johnson call the shots. Grab your sleuthing cap and maybe a bottle of Renning Hot sauce—Benoit Blanc’s next mystery is gonna be a banger.
Source: MovieWeb
