Cast of Knives Out 3: Wake Up Dead Man Actors & Characters

Mystery fans have been waiting for another round with Benoit Blanc, and the third Knives Out film is stacking up an ensemble that could be the biggest yet. With a title like Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery and a cast that now numbers more than a dozen actors, Rian Johnson is once again pulling together a murderer’s row of talent.

Confirmed cast members: 15+ ·
Release year: 2025 ·
Director: Rian Johnson ·
Streaming platform: Netflix ·
Title: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

The 15 confirmed performers and their roles — where known — reveal a franchise that keeps widening its net.

All cast confirmations sourced from the Rotten Tomatoes cast and crew page (tier-2 editorial database).

Is Knives Out 3 coming out?

Yes — Wake Up Dead Man is very real. Rian Johnson is back in the director’s chair, Daniel Craig is once again donning the southern drawl of Benoit Blanc, and Netflix is set to stream the film in 2025. The official title was unveiled in December 2024, and the cast list was released soon after.

Confirmed release date

• Rotten Tomatoes lists a specific date of November 26, 2025 (Rotten Tomatoes release info).
• Netflix has not yet confirmed the exact date, but the 2025 window is consistent across sources.

Title and platform

The full title, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, continues the franchise’s tradition of using a song title as a subtitle. It will stream exclusively on Netflix, as part of the two-sequel deal Johnson signed after the first film’s success.

Production timeline

Production began in September 2025, according to reports. Filming locations and a trailer have not yet been released.

Who are the Irish actors in Knives Out 3?

Two Irish actors are confirmed for the cast, marking a notable expansion of the franchise’s talent pool beyond the UK and US.

Andrew Scott as Lee Ross

• Andrew Scott, the Irish actor known for Fleabag and Sherlock, plays Lee Ross (Rotten Tomatoes).
• His casting adds a sharp, unpredictable energy that Johnson has historically used for red herrings and key witnesses.

Daryl McCormack as Cy Draven

• Daryl McCormack, who broke out in Good Luck to You, Leo Grande and Peaky Blinders, plays Cy Draven (same source).
• Cy Draven is likely a relative of Kerry Washington’s character, Vera Draven, Esq., suggesting a family subplot.

Other Irish talent in the cast

No other Irish actors are officially listed, but the presence of Scott and McCormack gives the ensemble a distinct Hibernian thread. The franchise has previously featured British stars (Daniel Craig, Hugh Grant) and American stars (Chris Evans, Edward Norton), so the Irish addition reflects Johnson’s aim to keep the cast diverse and globally relevant.

Who killed Monseigneur Wicks?

The central mystery revolves around the death of Monseigneur Jefferson Wicks, played by Josh Brolin. But as with every Knives Out film, the answer is locked until the credits roll.

Monseigneur Jefferson Wicks played by Josh Brolin

• Josh Brolin is credited as Mons. Jefferson Wicks (Rotten Tomatoes).
• The character appears to be a religious figure (the title “Mons.” suggests Monsignor, a Catholic church rank), though the film may subvert that expectation.

The central mystery of the film

The official logline from Netflix Tudum describes the plot as “Benoit Blanc investigates a pack of wicked wolves in a new, high-stakes mystery.” Who killed the Monseigneur is the question that drives the entire story.

Spoiler-free discussion

Rian Johnson has kept plot details tightly under wraps. Unlike Glass Onion, which had a known murder, Wake Up Dead Man does not yet have an official synopsis that reveals the victim or the method. The killer is unknown until the film’s release.

“Benoit Blanc investigates a pack of wicked wolves in a new, high-stakes mystery.”

— Netflix Tudum, as summarized on Rotten Tomatoes

The franchise has built a reputation for upending expectations. Glass Onion tricked audiences into thinking the victim was the tech billionaire, only to reveal a collective plot. Wake Up Dead Man seems poised to do something similar with the religious overtones of its victim. For Irish fans, seeing Scott and McCormack share scenes with Craig and Brolin is a reward for following the series from the start. The implication: Netflix and Johnson are betting that global casting deepens the mystery rather than diluting it.

For a comprehensive breakdown of every actor and their role, check out this full cast and character guide for Wake Up Dead Man.

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