In an exciting announcement, it’s now confirmed that actor, choreographer, and director Raghava Lawrence has joined director Lokesh Kanagaraj's Lokesh Cinematic Universe (LCU). On Lawrence’s birthday, Kanagaraj himself unveiled a promo revealing Lawrence as the lead in the next LCU entry, Benz. Judging by the promo of Benz, it seems Lawrence will portray a violent vigilante with a look inspired by Batman’s iconic antagonist, Red Hood. ‘Benz’: Raghava Lawrence Joins Lokesh Kanagaraj’s LCU! Actor To Play Vigilante Inspired by Red Hood (Watch Video).

Interestingly, Benz is set to be the first LCU film not directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj. Instead, it will be helmed by Bakkiyaraj Kannan, known for films like Sulthan and Remo. This strategic move allows Kanagaraj to expand his cinematic universe without taking on all the directorial responsibilities himself.

With Raghava Lawrence joining, the roster of lead actors in the LCU has grown significantly. Although the 2019 film Kaithi was the first movie of the cinematic universe, it was the 2022 release Vikram that firmly established it as a shared universe, with the 2023 film Leo expanding it even further. Leo in LCU: From Karthi's Kaithi to Kamal Haasan's Vikram, How Thalapathy Vijay's Film is Connected to Lokesh Cinematic Universe.

Watch 'Benz' Announcement Video:

Not counting the actors whose characters have been slain in these movies, like Vijay Sethupathi in Vikram or Sanjay Dutt and Arjun Sarja in Leo, here's a list of lead actors whose characters now exist in LCU, giving hope to fans for a future Avengers-style crossover:

Lead Actors in the LCU:

Karthi – Kaithi, Vikram (voice cameo)

Kamal Haasan – Vikram, Leo (voice cameo)

Thalapathy Vijay – Leo

Suriya – Vikram (cameo), Rolex spinoff (rumoured)

Fahadh Faasil – Vikram

Raghava Lawrence – Benz (upcoming)

Lokesh Kanagaraj is currently filming Coolie, starring Rajinikanth, alongside Nagarjuna, Soubin Shahir, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, and Upendra (with a rumoured cameo from Aamir Khan in his possible Tamil debut). The producers of Coolie insist that the film, like Kanagaraj's 2021 release Master, will not be part of the LCU. However, similar claims were made about Leo, which ultimately became part of the universe. We’ll have to wait for Coolie's release in 2025 to find out if Rajinikanth will make his LCU debut. ‘Coolie’: From Aamir Khan’s Cameo to Soubin Shahir Joining the Cast – Check Out the Star-Studded Lineup of Rajinikanth and Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Film.

Meanwhile, Thalapathy Vijay is taking a break from films to focus on politics, so it’s uncertain if he’ll appear in the LCU anytime soon, at least in a full-fledged role. As of now, Benz is the only officially confirmed upcoming LCU film, though Kaithi 2, Vikram 2, and a Rolex spinoff remain strong possibilities in the rumour mill. Also can we have a female-led LCU movie, possibly with Nayanthara in lead?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 30, 2024 12:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).