Now that Wake Up Dead Man is available to watch on streaming, director Rian Johnson has finally addressed that Star Wars joke in the film, saying it's "very apropos today". Johnson, who directed the divisive The Last Jedi back in 2017 before launching the Knives Out saga, simply "couldn't resist" including the line.
The joke itself comes when one of the suspects, Cy Draven (played by Daryl McCormack), is talking about joining his father in building a powerful business empire. He then, in a completely serious way, compares himself to the Rebellion in Star Wars, to Father Jud's (Josh O'Connor) obvious surprise. The moment makes fun of certain conservative-minded people who see themselves as part of the Rebellion, when their views might be more aligned with the evil Empire.
