Cast of Wake Up Dead Man – Full Stars and Roles Guide

Rian Johnson’s third installment in the celebrated Knives Out franchise brings together an ensemble of acclaimed performers for a mystery set within a church community. The 2025 film centers on detective Benoit Blanc as he unravels the murder of a divisive Catholic priest, with a missing inheritance at the heart of the intrigue.

Daniel Craig leads the cast in his signature role, joined by a lineup that includes Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, and Kerry Washington. Fresh faces such as Josh O’Connor and Cailee Spaeny round out the ensemble, creating dynamics that blend established talent with emerging performers.

Who Stars in the Cast of Wake Up Dead Man?

The production assembled a roster of performers whose combined credits span decades of acclaimed work across film, television, and stage. Each brings distinct qualities to roles intertwined with faith, secrets, and deception.

Key Casting Insights

• The ensemble reunites Craig with Johnson following their successful collaboration on Glass Onion and the original Knives Out, with Craig reportedly earning $100 million across the two sequels.
• O’Connor, best known for his breakthrough role in The Crown, brings dramatic intensity as the conflicted priest with a boxing background.
• The casting deliberately emphasizes religious themes through the priest and monsignor roles, creating a setting where faith and moral ambiguity intersect.
• Johnson expanded the ensemble beyond the family dynamics of previous films, grounding this installment in a church community.
• The ensemble balances established Hollywood names with rising talents, creating generational variety among the suspects.
• Several performers, including Jeffrey Wright and Andrew Scott, bring extensive dramatic range honed through acclaimed television and stage work.

Who Plays the Monsignor in Wake Up Dead Man?

Josh Brolin takes on the role of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, the charismatic yet domineering priest whose murder becomes the central mystery. Listings vary between “Monsignor Jefferson Wicks” and “Msgr. Jefferson Wicks,” reflecting different credit formats across promotional materials.

The character serves as both the victim and a catalyst for the narrative’s exploration of faith, power, and secrets within the church community. According to multiple sources, Wicks is portrayed as a divisive figure whose influence over his congregation proves complicated.

Jefferson Wicks in the Story

The monsignor’s death occurs amid a missing inheritance, establishing financial motives alongside spiritual ones. Blanc’s investigation must navigate the complicated relationships within the church community, where Wicks served as a central figure.

What Is Josh O’Connor’s Role in Wake Up Dead Man?

Josh O’Connor portrays Father Jud Duplenticy, a designation that appears alongside some sources listing him as Monsignor. O’Connor’s character is introduced as a young priest who was once a reformed boxer—a background that proves significant given that he killed a man during a match.

This boxing history adds layers to the priest’s character, suggesting a past involving violence that complicates his spiritual calling. Early reviews have highlighted O’Connor’s performance as particularly memorable within the ensemble.

“Josh O’Connor delivers a scene-stealing performance,” according to Rotten Tomatoes critics, who praised the film for delivering a worthy mystery with soulful focus on faith.

Building on O’Connor’s Rise

O’Connor gained widespread recognition for his portrayal of Prince Charles in Netflix’s The Crown, earning critical acclaim and awards consideration. His casting in Wake Up Dead Man represents a transition into mainstream theatrical releases while maintaining his dramatic sensibilities.

Is Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Wake Up Dead Man?

Multiple search queries have sought confirmation about Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s involvement, but available sources do not list him among either the main or supporting cast. Cross-referencing Wikipedia, the Knives Out Fandom wiki, and promotional coverage reveals no appearance by Gordon-Levitt.

This represents a case where unverified rumors outpaced confirmed casting information. The long-tail keyword “cast of Wake Up Dead Man Joseph Gordon-Levitt” likely persists due to fan speculation rather than official announcements.

Who Is the Killer in Wake Up Dead Man Cast?

Jeremy Renner portrays Dr. Nat Sharp, an alcoholic town doctor who is revealed as the killer as the plot unfolds. According to the documented storyline, Sharp executes the murder by sedating the victim’s flask, staging a stabbing using a decoy finial during a church service, and then switching the weapon while subsequently examining the body.

This revelation positions Sharp as both a medical professional and the person whom Blanc must ultimately confront. The character’s alcoholism adds another layer of complexity to the mystery, suggesting personal struggles that may have motivated the crime.

The Murder Method

The specific method—drugging the victim’s flask, staging the stabbing with a decoy finial, and performing a deceptive examination—represents the kind of intricate plotting Johnson has become known for across the Knives Out series. The detail-oriented approach to the murder reflects the whodunit tradition while introducing fresh elements within the ecclesiastical setting.

Wake Up Dead Man Production Timeline

The production moved relatively quickly from announcement to release, with principal photography and post-production fitting within a condensed timeframe typical of streaming releases.

1. 2023: Rian Johnson confirmed development of a third Knives Out film, with Daniel Craig confirmed to reprise the role of Benoit Blanc.
2. Early 2024: Casting announcements began, with early additions including Josh O’Connor and Cailee Spaeny joining the ensemble.
3. May 2024: Major casting updates confirmed Kerry Washington, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott, and Daryl McCormack.
4. Production Period: Filming occurred throughout 2024, with specific location details remaining limited in available sources.
5. September 2025: The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, featuring a Q&A with Johnson, Craig, and principal cast members.
6. December 12, 2025: Official release on Netflix, marking the third standalone film’s debut on the streaming platform.

The TIFF premiere provided early critical response, with the Q&A featuring Johnson, Craig, O’Connor, Close, Brolin, Kunis, Renner, Washington, Scott, Spaeny, McCormack, and producer Ram Bergman.

Confirmed Cast vs. Unconfirmed Reports

Distinguishing between confirmed casting and rumored involvement helps clarify the actual ensemble. The following comparison separates verified information from persistent speculation.

Cast Analysis and Knives Out Connections

Johnson’s approach to the third installment builds on the ensemble structures established in previous films while shifting the setting from private estates to institutional spaces. The church community provides a different social dynamic than the wealthy family gatherings of earlier entries.

The casting choices reflect thematic intentionality. By placing Brolin as the monsignor and O’Connor as a priest struggling with a violent past, the production explores questions of faith and moral authority within a mystery framework.

Critical reception has positioned this as the series’ darkest and most personal case for Blanc, with the religious backdrop allowing Johnson to examine more introspective themes alongside the puzzle-box plotting. Rotten Tomatoes reviewers specifically noted the “soulful focus on faith” as a distinguishing element.

Ensemble Balance

The mix of film stars (Craig, Brolin, Close), television leads (O’Connor, Washington, Scott), and rising talents (Spaeny, McCormack) creates viewing dynamics where audiences might encounter familiar faces in unfamiliar contexts. Kunis’s role as the local police chief, for instance, breaks from her typical comedic or dramatic leading roles.

Explore more about Mila Kunis movies and TV shows to see how her casting here fits within her broader career trajectory.

Official Quotes and Sources

Official coverage from Netflix Tudum and studio press materials provided early promotional context for the ensemble, though specific quotes were not available in the gathered research materials.

The film represents a worthy continuation of the mystery franchise, with the ensemble delivering on the promise established in earlier installments.

Rotten Tomatoes critical consensus

Josh O’Connor delivers a scene-stealing performance, earning particular praise for his portrayal of the conflicted priest.

Rotten Tomatoes individual reviews

This is the darkest and most personal case yet for Benoit Blanc, exploring faith and family secrets through Johnson’s signature plotting.

Harper’s Bazaar feature coverage

Summary

The cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery brings together an ensemble of acclaimed performers for Rian Johnson’s third installment in the detective series. Daniel Craig leads as Benoit Blanc, joined by Josh Brolin as the murdered Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, Josh O’Connor as the conflicted Father Jud Duplenticy, and supporting roles from Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, and Daryl McCormack.

The film premiered at TIFF in September 2025 before releasing on Netflix on December 12, 2025. Critical response highlights O’Connor’s performance and the production’s soulful engagement with themes of faith, marking the darkest entry in the Knives Out franchise. For additional ensemble coverage, see our cast of The Amateur guide.

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Adam PryorStaff Writer

Adam Pryor is Managing Editor at StoryNative.uk, running the daily news list, the publishing schedule and newsroom workflow.