With less than two months to go until the Knives Out sequel drops on Netflix, suspicions are rising about the twists and turns of Rian Johnson’s next whodunit. Since the raging success of the 2019 phenomenon, murder mystery fans have been attempting to piece together clues from the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery trailer.
Detective Benoit Blanc is back on the case to investigate a new murder, that takes place on a remote Greek island where a group of friends has gathered for a weekend. With plot details few and far between, fans have started to speculate who the murderer is and who the victim might be. The most popular fan theory is that Miles’s assistant, played by Moon Knight’s Ethan Hawke, is killed, as he is missing from ensemble photos taken later on in the movie.
The second instalment in the anthology is rumoured to be based on one of Johnson’s favourite movies, The Last of Sheila, co-written by Psycho icon — Norman Bates himself — Anthony Perkins, and the late composer Stephen Sondheim. It appears to be a solid theory that could reveal more details about the upcoming sequel, as Sondheim even makes a posthumous cameo in the movie.
However, in the meantime, we’ve spoken to Betway to work out the odds of who the killer is in Glass Onion: Knives Out Mystery. Taking a deep dive into clues in the trailer, interviews, and inspired source material, Chad Yeomans, Head of PR at Betway, shares his predictions…
Dave Bautista Is Most Likely to be the Killer
Guardians of the Galaxy star, Dave Bautista, is the bookies’ favourite to be the murderer, in his role as YouTuber and men’s rights activist, Duke Cody. The brash social media star can be seen swanning around the luxurious island with a handgun holstered to his speedos in trailers.
It seems that Duke feels the need to defend himself, or is he simply showcasing his toxic masculinity by being armed on a supposedly friendly vacation?
The former professional wrestler and World Heavy Weight Champion is no stranger to playing the villain, as he starred as ‘The Beast’ Rabban in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. Bautista has even gone toe-to-toe with Daniel Craig before, as Mr Hinx to Craig’s James Bond in Spectre.
It’s hard to discount the preconceptions an audience will have of an actor based on their previous roles, but Yeomans admits it plays a small part when figuring out the odds of the killer. After all, Duke is mainly implicated as he’s seen firing a potential murder weapon in the trailer.
“We’ve priced up Dave Bautista as the 7/2 favourite as he’s seen firing the gun that appears to be the murder weapon in the latest instalment of the Knives Out [franchise],” Yeomans explains.
In the past, Bautista has also spoken out about how “nervous” he was to join the franchise, despite being part of countless Marvel blockbusters, which suggests he plays an integral role in the highly anticipated sequel. He told /Film about joining the star-studded cast: “It feels terrifying. I’m nervous about it. I’m really nervous. It’s one of those things where now the pressure’s on, because people are expecting things from you. I want to deliver.”
Betting odds: 7/2
Kathryn Hahn is the Second Favourite
It turns out it could be Agatha all along again, as Betway have lined-up Agatha Harkness actress, Kathryn Hahn as their second favourite.
The WandaVision star burst onto the scene as the iconic comic book villain in January 2021 and won fans over for her meme-able wink, playful catchphrases, and her own catchy theme song. Now fans are wondering if Hahn could put her mischievous skills to the test again, and play the villain in this movie.
Yet, it could simply be wishful thinking for a delightful incarnation of Agatha 2.0 in Johnson’s murder mystery. Hahn’s character certainly has the potential to be involved in a high-stakes game, as Claire Debella is a governor in Connecticut who is running for the Senate.
Johnson describes Hahn’s character as someone who “pisses everyone off” as she tries to maintain an admirable public persona, but he teased that comes at a price as it’s “what she’s willing to compromise in order to stay in office.”
Yeomans adds, “Playing a politician – who is surely a popular villain in the current climate — is Kathryn Hahn, who is the 9/2 second favourite. We are expecting her to be popular amongst punters as they look to unravel the mysterious story.”
Betting odds: 9/2
Madelyn Cline Is the Least Likely Killer
Madelyn Cline’s Whiskey appears to be the last person to worry about, when it comes to murder. As the Gen-Z girlfriend of Duke (Bautista), Whiskey seems to be solely a plus-one on what is purported to be a luxurious Greek getaway.
It seems unlikely that Whiskey could have any pre-emptive thoughts of murder within a group of people that she appears to barely know. And after all, if she wanted to kill Duke (if he turns out to be the victim) she could do that at home.
Yeomans notes that the other least likely culprit is Murder She Wrote star, the late Angela Lansbury, who makes a posthumous cameo in Glass Onion, her final on-screen appearance. He says: “No way is Jessica Fletcher turning to crime!” It seems her detective skills might be of more use to Detective Blanc instead.
Betting odds (Whiskey): 10/1
Betting odds (Angela Lansbury): 33/1
The Last of Sheila’s Impact Implicates Edward Norton
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is rumoured to be inspired by The Last of Sheila, which could give fans a greater understanding of who the potential killer is. In the 1973 movie, all of the characters work in the film industry and there appear to be very few like-for-like characters, except for Edward Norton’s Miles who seems to be a near-facsimile of James Coburn’s character, Clinton Greene.
Greene invites all of his friends to play a game on his yacht, where they’re each given a card with a secret on it, and they have to work out the mystery of who the secret belongs to. Here’s a spoiler warning for those of you who have never seen the film and wish for the killer to remain a mystery before we go on. The game turns sour as Richard Benjamin’s Tom Parkman kills Greene, and all the dark secrets from their pasts are revealed.
If the narrative of Glass Onion follows a similar trajectory to The Last of Sheila, then it seems Miles could be the one in danger. However, Yeoman is not convinced that Miles will be the victim, instead the plot could be subverted and he could become the villain.
Yeomans reflects: “It is common when basing mysteries on previously-written stories to change the perpetrator, though of course this perhaps implicates Edward Norton a little.”
Equally, in the original Knives Out, the man at the helm of the family, Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thrombey is murdered. Therefore, it seems unlikely that Norton’s character would befall the same fate. As the host of this jet-setting vacation, Miles is the glue that holds this group of eclectic individuals together, though it’s not clear how they interlink, as unlike The Last of Sheila they don’t all work together in the same industry.
Betting odds: 5/1
Could Two Characters Have Conspired to Commit Murder?
Another possibility to consider is that two of the characters will carry out the killing. From the trailer, it seems that Hahn’s Claire and Janelle Monáe’s character, tech entrepreneur Andi, could be behind the murder.
The duo share a heated moment in the trailer, which could be a sign of holiday strain within their friendship, or a knock-on effect of their murder scheme going awry — or someone being onto their secrets.
Yeomans suggests that it has “never been more appropriate” than with Knives Out to say “Dead Heat rules” apply.
He adds: “Kathryn Hahn and Janelle Monáe can be seen arguing, which is usually a sure-fire indicator that they are in it together!”
Betting Odds (Claire Debella): 9/2
Betting Odds (Cassandra Brand): 13/2
If they’re in it together, Dead Heat rules apply
Could They all Have Done it?
Knives Out mysteries are never quite what they seem. In the first movie, there is technically no killer, as no one is murdered. Ransom (Chris Evans) attempts to kill his grandfather Harlan, and his housekeeper Fran, but fails on both accounts as Fran survives and Harlan, thinking he’s about to die (when he isn’t), kills himself.
Johnson has spoken at length of his admiration for best-selling novelist Agatha Christie, who is renowned for her ensemble murder mysteries that are unravelled either by seasoned detective Hercule Poirot or eagle-eyed Miss Marple.
The director even cited Murder On The Orient Express as one of his “touchstones” for the genre, along with The Last of Sheila, back in 2019. The 1934 novel sees all passengers on the luxury train contribute to the untimely death of John Cassetti, who they previously had dealings with in another life. If Johnson takes a leaf out of Christie’s book, then several characters could be in it together. Yeomans suggests that no single character can be ruled out, as in the right circumstances they could all have their own reason to kill.
“All characters will likely have secrets and motives, so no one is out of the running from a betting perspective. The greatest whodunits have presented ever-new and less foreseeable twists to confound even the most skilled couch detective – or oddsmaker!”
He continues: “All characters will likely have secrets and motives, so no one is out of the running from a betting perspective. The greatest whodunits have presented ever-new and less foreseeable twists to confound even the most skilled couch detective – or oddsmaker! In truth – and this is surely the intention of the filmmakers – we could make a perfectly reasonable case for any of the characters to be, or not to be, the killer.”
The cast has also teased that the characters share an equal presence on-screen and in their development throughout the picture, all of which would suggest that the characters are working towards some over-arching scheme that unites them all.
Hahn says she was drawn to Glass Onion because Knives Out, so she told Nylon, was a lot of “equal ball-passing” between the cast, where “there was no ball-hogging – just everybody passing the ball to each other with such generosity.”
She teased that the sequel offered the same dynamic: “And so far, it seems like the same thing on this one. It’s a really delightful, beautiful ensemble.”
Fans will have to wait with bated breath as they collect their observations for Johnson’s delicious new venture into the genre and Benoit Blanc’s next case. For now, here are the betting odds for the remainder of the cast, and the chances that they’re all in it together…
Betting Odds: Peg (Jessica Henwick) is at 7/1
Betting Odds: Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr) is at 8/1
Betting Odds: Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) is at 9/1
Betting Odds: They’re all in it together: 25/1
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery hits screens in the US and UK on a limited release on November 23, 2022, and Netflix on December 23, 2022.
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