Benoit Blanc is a man of many talents — he’s a natty dresser, a canny sleuth and a keen critical mind. But in his latest case, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, writer-director Rian Johnson introduces a new facet of Blanc’s personality: Apparently, the world’s greatest detective is also able to hold down one of the world’s most famous (former) bachelors. 

🤐 SPOILER ALERT 🤐

That’s right, in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo around the star-studded whodunit’s midpoint, Johnson rather nonchalantly reveals that Daniel Craig’s Blanc has a live-in partner, played by none other than Hugh Grant. When Janelle Monáe’s character (or should we say, one of her characters?) appears on Blanc’s doorstep with a mysterious invitation to a private island, she’s greeted by Grant, who’s wearing a paint-splattered apron and a befuddled expression. 

Surely, there has to be a story here, right? We went to Johnson to find out... “When we were casting that part, I’m like, ‘Who would it bring me the most joy to imagine Blanc being with?’” says the filmmaker. “I couldn’t imagine anyone else that would bring me that much joy.” 

So yes, Blanc and Grant’s character (Phillip in the film’s end credits) are an item. But don’t expect to see too much of the pair going forward in Johnson’s planned series of Knives Out mysteries. As deliciously tempting as it is to imagine a Thin Man–style caper with Craig and Grant as a tippling, bickering pair of amateur sleuths, the mystery comes first at the end of the day.

“I will say this, first of all, I should only be so lucky to get that actor back in a murder mystery,” Johnson says. “So we’ll see. But I also feel like, if that happens, it would be way down the line because I feel like it’s important to set the guardrails. And the guardrails for me are that each one of these is about the mystery. It’s not about the detective.”

Glass Onion But Only DerolWe wanna hang out with Derol!

For Johnson, Blanc is a way into the mystery, not necessarily a protagonist in his own right. It’s no accident that in both Knives Out films, Blanc ultimately ends up in the role of observer, piecing together the case without fully resolving it. “It’s not about diving into who he is or where he comes from. He can’t be the protagonist of it,” Johnson says. “It has to be centered around the mystery. And the detective is only interesting in terms of the role that he plays and the story that we’re telling.”

So, for now, we’ll have to settle for that brief, tantalizing glimpse of Phillip, painting away while his partner stews in the bathtub. Unless, that is, Johnson isn’t being completely honest. “Look, I don’t know, man, I’m also a liar,” the Knives Out mastermind says with a smile. “And if something makes me laugh, I’ll inevitably do it at some point. So we’ll see.”

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix now.

The Cast of Glass Onion on What It's Like to Work With Rian Johnson Hear the writer/director's laugh from behind the monitors.