Summary

  • Detective Blanc's enigmatic past and relationships need exploration in Knives Out 3 for character development.
  • Will Blanc's financial stability, past cases, and hiring process be revealed in the installment?
  • The title "Wake Up Dead Man" suggests a personal connection for Blanc, possibly uncovering his haunting past.

WARNING! This includes SPOILERS for Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

With Knives Out 3 will see Craig reprise his role once again, but hopefully, the next installment of the franchise will delve further into the Detective’s backstory.

Although the first two films provide some context on Blanc’s past and current lifestyle, the character is still rather ambiguous. Blanc’s personality shifts in moments of humor and despair, yet his primary focus is always the case at hand, which leaves little room for character development. Knives Out 3, titled Wake Up Dead Man, has the opportunity to provide Blanc with a well-deserved expansion. Despite being a brilliant investigator, Detective Blanc is still an enigmatic figure in the Knives Out films.

Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc trying to calm everyone down in Glass Onion A Knives Out Mystery.
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8 Who Is Hugh Grant's Knives Out Character?

The Enigmatic Philip Needs More Screen Time

One thing on the Hugh Grant’s Glass Onion cameo is rather wholesome – Philip and Blanc are a couple. However, this is yet to be established on screen.

Philip and Blanc’s romantic entanglement can be interpreted in many ways, so it’s not clear how committed their relationship is. They may be casual, just two old friends being intimate, or they may be married. Glass Onion incorporates the events of COVID-19 into its storyline, so there’s a chance that Philip and Blanc are even divorced yet still cohabit. Philip seems to be generally uninterested in the details of Blanc’s work, but perhaps Knives Out 3 will see the pair team up together for a new mystery.

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7 Did Blanc Stay Involved With The Previous Killers' Police Investigations?

The Fallout Of His Biggest Cases Need Updates

In each Knives Out movie, there is often a suspicious lack of law enforcement around. In the first film, Lieutenant Elliot and Trooper Wagner are conveniently missed when needed, but in Glass Onion, everyone is on a remote island. Without fail, Blanc takes the reins and leads the investigation, but the franchise never shows what happens after the detective finds the culprit. The two villains of the films, Ransom in Knives Out and Miles in Glass Onion, are both egotistical and overly confident. They underestimate Blanc, so they’re furious when he catches them.

Blanc is the person who gets their confessions and proves their crimes, so it makes sense that he is heavily involved in the fallout. The police have to confirm all of the evidence Blanc gathers, and he would surely need to testify in court, especially for the sentencing to go smoothly. Glass Onion’s ending doesn’t specify whether Blanc is actively working alongside prosecutors to imprison Ransom, but Knives Out 3 can easily include a detail like this. Hopefully, learning about Miles’ punishment in Knives Out 3 will give further context to Blanc’s career outside of an ongoing investigation.

Glass Onion Benoit Blanc Helen
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6 Did Blanc Stay In With Marta & Helen After Knives Out & Glass Onion?

The Knives Out Protagonists Survive, But How Their Lives Progress Is Ambiguous

The downfall of Miles and Ransom also raises queries about Blanc’s relationships with each film’s protagonist: Marta in Knives Out and Helen in Glass Onion. In both movies, Blanc forms a strong bond with the two leading women. Marta is anxious but powers through because of her dedication to Harlan, commitment to being his nurse, and proving her innocence, which results in her inheriting his estate. Helen’s motivation, however, is to find out how her twin sister, Andi, died.

The the undeserving Thrombey family in Knives Out? Does Helen move on after Andi’s death in Glass Onion? Regardless of Blanc’s role in the trials, it’ll be interesting to learn how his relationships with each woman change afterward.

5 What Is Benoit Blanc's Backstory Before Knives Out?

The Detective's Past Is A Mystery

There are very few details about Benoit Blanc’s life before the events of Knives Out. However, there are some mentions of his past littered throughout the franchise. His father was a detective, so Blanc is following in his footsteps, but he never specifies whether they have a good relationship or not. Blanc also tells Marta in Knives Out that his father is an irer of Harlan’s crime novels and a personal friend of his. There are several celebrity cameos in Glass Onion, as Blanc has a video call with his famous friends, including Serena Williams, Angela Lansbury, and Natasha Lyonne.

However, the film doesn’t explain just how Blanc knows these people. While an enigmatic figure, Blanc’s success as an investigator and private life are two topics the Knives Out franchise sneakily avoids acknowledging. His prominence in both a professional and personal context is repeatedly mentioned, but Blanc’s throwaway remarks about his past are never expanded upon. Rian Johnson states that a Knives Out prequel will never happen, but this doesn’t mean that Knives Out 3 can’t at least develop his backstory a little more.

Daniel Craig speaking as Benoit Blanc in Knives Out.
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4 How Much Money Does Benoit Blanc Actually Earn?

Blanc's Financial Situation Is Suspicious

Another thing Rian Johnson mentions when discussing Hugh Grant’s character in Glass Onion is their apartment. Johnson states that the “apartment is so nice, [he] can’t imagine Blanc can afford it.” This comment is intriguing, as there is no mention of Blanc receiving payment for his services in Knives Out or Glass Onion. The two films frequently imply that Blanc is an absolute icon in his field, so realistically, he should be financially stable.

Blanc is magically able to travel across the US and the world at the drop of a hat. Blanc never mentions having to change his schedule to rush off on an inquiry, but perhaps he doesn’t have to worry. There’s a possibility Philip is the breadwinner of their home, Blanc’s family is wealthy, or his career as a detective is sponsored. Knives Out 3 needs to explain this factor of Blanc’s life, but primarily how he dedicates so much of his life to these mysteries without stressing about paying his bills.

3 What Are Some Of Blanc’s Most Significant Past Cases?

Details Of How He Becomes Such A Brilliant Detective Are Needed In Knives Out 3

One part of Blanc’s life that he happily speaks about is his past cases, but like most of the details about him, these investigations lack a lot of context. In Glass Onion, one of Blanc’s Hollywood friends mentions him cracking a case involving a “tennis champ,” for example. Later in the film, politician Claire recounts hearing about the murder of a “ballet dancer.” Although these casual comments provide subtle fragments about Blanc as a detective, there isn’t enough explanation to justify his skills.

If Knives Out 3 discusses Blanc’s past cases, it will make the character more well-rounded. Understanding Blanc's history will add layers of suspense to the ongoing case and also prove that his investigative abilities are so much more than what Knives Out and Glass Onion implies. With such an ominous title like Wake Up Dead Man, looking at Blanc’s former mysteries is also a way for Knives Out 3 to remind him of a traumatic moment that impacts his decisions.

2 How Do People Actually & Hire Benoit Blanc?

Ransom And Helen Employ Blanc In Unusual Ways

In the setup of both Glass Onion, Detective Blanc is ed mysteriously. In Knives Out, Ransom already knows about his grandfather’s death and so anonymously hires Blanc, hoping to implicate Marta in Harlan's death. In Glass Onion, Helen arrives on Blanc’s doorstep and asks for his help in finding Andi’s killer. However, it’s never explained as to how the two locate Blanc in the first place. As Blanc is supposedly a hotshot investigator, it’s unlikely that he has an ment in the local paper, but it's not impossible.

If Blanc’s list of potential clientele is full up, how did Ransom and Helen convince him to take their cases so quickly? This is especially interesting in relation to Ransom, who doesn’t have a face-to-face conversation with Blanc before he accepts. Maybe Blanc’s success isn’t as big as the Knives Out films suggest. If Blanc is so popular, it would surely make his job even harder, as suspects are likely to avoid responding to his queries. Hopefully, Knives Out 3 will spend time establishing Blanc’s hiring process.

1 Will Blanc Know The "Dead" Man In Knives Out 3?

Blanc's Past May Come Back To Haunt Him In Knives Out 3

Wake Up Dead Man, the official title of Knives Out 3, is a fascinating title for the next franchise installment. The first cast of Knives Out 3 include Cailee Spaeny and Josh O'Connor, but the storyline of Blanc’s brand-new case is still under wraps. The common themes in Knives Out and Glass Onion are the attitude toward societal status and greed, so it is assumed that Knives Out 3 will follow a similar pattern. However, Wake Up Dead Man could also be a tease for the events of the film.

With Benoit Blanc’s backstory so minimal, Knives Out 3 has a great chance to incorporate some elements of his past. The film can delve into Blanc’s character through the latest victim, and the detective knowing the “Dead Man” could raise the stakes. Blanc forcing himself to solve the death of a friend, family member, or haunting figure from his younger years will make him even more invested. Detective Benoit Blanc is generally flawless, but if his job gets too personal, there could be some incredible character development for him.

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