Marvel star takes first film role after accident

Marvel star Jeremy Renner has taken his first role since his 2023 snowplough accident, joining the cast of the third Knives Out film.

Renner joins a starry line-up for the murder mystery sequel, titled Wake Up Dead Man, alongside Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington and Josh O’Connor, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

Daniel Craig will return as Benoit Blanc, the detective with a distinctive southern US drawl and a knack for solving murders.

Last week, the films’ Oscar-nominated director and writer Rian Johnson posted about the new film on Instagram: “We’re about to go into production on it and I AM SLIGHTLY EXCITED.”

Renner has been recovering since being left in a critical condition when he was accidentally run over by his own snowplough on New Year’s Day 2023.

He broke 38 bones and had his ribcage rebuilt with metal, metal plates put in his face to support his eye socket, and titanium rods inserted in one of his legs, the Hollywood Reporter said.

The accident happened when the actor was trying to rescue his nephew, who was stranded in a car in snow. Renner successfully towed the car free, but when he got out, the plough slid and crushed him.

He said in January that knowing he had “a lot to fight for” helped him through the aftermath.

The Oscar-nominated actor, who is known for playing Clint Barton/Hawkeye in the Marvel franchise and for roles in other films including The Hurt Locker and Arrival, also recently spoke about his career.

He told Collider he did not rule out a return to the Mission: Impossible films, having left the franchise to spend more time with his daughter.

Renner will also be seen in series three of Paramount+ TV series Mayor of Kingstown, which wil be released in June.

Speaking about the show earlier this week, he said it had been tough to make, and thanked the cast and crew for letting him “physically and emotionally lean on” them.

He added that he was “struggling in the beginning”, but had emerged “stronger” and felt “pretty invigorated”, as opposed to feeling exhausted at the end of a shoot.

Renner also told Kelly Clarkson’s US TV chat show that one of the worst aspects of his accident was that “I even forgot about my daughter. That’s how messed up I was”.

People reported that he said: “But once I got off life support and got home after a couple weeks, my sister told me that, you know, Ava was here. That’s when it all kicked in for me.

“My life support really kicked in, because my daughter is my life force,” he added of Ava, aged 11.