Why Knives Out 3 Needs Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the Cast

The Impressive Ensemble of Knives Out

Following the massive popularity and success of Knives Out in 2019, writer/director Rian Johnson struck a deal with Netflix to make two sequels. The murder mystery stories are headlined by Daniel Craig's Detective Benoit Blanc, and the franchise has so far developed an expectation that he'll be surrounded by an incredibly talented ensemble of performers. This has put a certain amount of pressure on the Knives Out 3 cast to be equally stacked as its filled with A-list stars and up-and-coming actors.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Brick

The talent assembled so far in the Knives Out movies has been quite impressive to say the least. Rian Johnson got Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Christopher Plummer, and others to appear in the original. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery followed up that cast list by getting Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Janelle Mon\u00e1e, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, and more. This has led to some star-studded Knives Out 3 fan castings asking for some major stars to appear.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt holding a camera and the Glass Onion: A Knives Out mystery cast

The franchise has developed an expectation that the Knives Out 3 cast will be equally stacked with A-list stars and up-and-coming actors, putting pressure on the casting decision.

The Connection Between Johnson and Gordon-Levitt

Rian Johnson could bring in any actor who is interested in joining the whodunnit franchise, but Knives Out 3 should look to give Joseph Gordon-Levitt a major role. Gordon-Levitt and Johnson's connection goes way back, as he was the star of the director's first feature film, Brick. The 2005 thriller is a precursor to the detective stories Johnson has since made much more popular through the Knives Out movies. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as a teenager attempting to solve the mystery of how his ex-girlfriend died. This became the beginning of an ongoing collaboration between the actor and director, as Joseph Gordon-Levitt appears in every Rian Johnson movie. It is that shared history between them that would make Gordon-Levitt a terrific addition to the Knives Out 3 cast.

Although Brick is not nearly as popular or well-known as the Knives Out movies, putting the actor in a prominent role opposite Daniel Craig would potentially help lead more people to seek out Johnson's directorial debut. Furthermore, it would be great to see Joseph Gordon-Levitt be a major part of another Rian Johnson movie, as that has not happened since 2013's Looper. Knives Out 3 can be where Johnson and Gordon-Levitt's detective collaborations come full circle.

The Potential Role of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Knives Out 3

There is already a way for Joseph Gordon-Levitt to appear in Knives Out 3 thanks to the previous installments. Continuing his and Johnson's tradition, Joseph Gordon-Levitt had a cameo in Knives Out, but it was only in a voice capacity. His role was as Detective Hardock from a fictional TV show that exists within this universe. This has prompted theories that Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Knives Out 3 role could be as Hardock, where he helps Benoit Blanc solve a mystery. That would prove Knives Out 3 wit an opportunity to potentially get more meta with its detective storyline and characters as Joseph Gordon-Levitt's fake detective helps out Blanc.