Think You Know Project Hail Mary? Carl Is the Real MVP

If you've seen Project Hail Mary (which, by the way, I actually recommend — it’s not just another bland sci-fi adaptation), you probably left the theater thinking Ryan Gosling is the only answer to the 'most important character' question. Or maybe you’re Team Rocky, for obvious alien-buddy reasons. But here’s a curveball: the real unsung hero is a guy who barely even turns up on screen. Welcome to the Carl appreciation club — population: probably just me, but let’s fix that.

Who the Heck is Carl?

Let’s start here: Carl, played by Lionel Boyce (you might recognize him as Marcus from The Bear), is an entirely new addition made up for the movie. He’s not in Andy Weir’s original novel at all. Usually, these add-on characters are glorified cameos, or cliches with 'plot device' written on their foreheads in Sharpie. This time? Carl actually matters.

His official job title is basically 'government security guy assigned to babysit a scientist.' Really, he's there to keep an eye on Dr. Ryland Grace (Gosling), who’s desperately poking at space mold, aka the patented Weir brand of hard science weirdness. Carl’s not just twiddling his thumbs, though. When Grace hits a research dead end — and, critically, a financial one — he jokes about not having a government expense account but then adds a sly:

"No... But I do."

In other words, he quietly bankrolls a key chunk of Grace’s research gear out of his own pocket. Sure, the stuff isn’t exactly NASA-grade. But without it, Grace never cracks the code on the astrophage. And without THAT, Grace doesn’t get recruited for the Hail Mary mission…and then, well, Earth probably dies.

It gets wild when you realize: if Carl hadn’t chipped in, Grace never would have made it to the A-team, let alone gotten drafted into the fateful mission when someone else bites it. All this impact, and Carl probably gets less screen time than Gosling spends eating sad astronaut food.

Why Make Up a New Character?

Okay, so why did the filmmakers bother inventing Carl in the first place? Blame the differences in telling stories on screen vs. on the page. In Andy Weir’s book, you’re stuck inside Grace’s head thanks to a first-person, constant inner monologue. Works great in a novel, but movies? Unless you want wall-to-wall narration (narrator overload, anyone?) it gets old fast.

The folks behind the adaptation went with flashbacks and video diaries for some of that inner stuff, but for the rest, they actually needed someone for Gosling to talk to. Enter Carl — he’s Grace’s sounding board, sidekick, and the only hint of a normal, supportive human relationship for a guy whose life is pretty much isolated puzzle-solving.

It’s a good reminder that sometimes, these supporting characters quietly keep the story working. Carl’s importance might be camouflaged in a short scene or two, but he’s the butterfly flapping its wings behind all the big, world-saving action.

Quick Recap: Why Carl Deserves Some Love

• Completely original to the movie (not in the book)
• Plays a government minder assigned to Grace’s research
• Bails Grace out by funding crucial equipment — with his own money
• Indirectly responsible for Grace getting into the Hail Mary project (and inevitably, saving humanity)
• Exists mostly so the movie doesn’t need awkward narration, but actually adds warmth and humor
• Barely any screen time, but a game-changer for the movie’s plot

So, next time you’re ranking your MVPs of Project Hail Mary, maybe throw a nod to Carl — the guy you barely noticed, but who (let’s be real) made the whole thing possible.