The Real Reason Poirot Has His Mustache (Death On The Nile’s Big Retcon)
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Death on the Nile.
Death on the Nile has a major retcon and it involves Hercule Poirot’s mustache. The renowned detective’s mustache is nearly as famous as he is. In Agatha Christie’s novels, of which he appeared in over 30 of them, she described his mustache as being “upward-curled” and is, alongside his nose, one of the most visible things about his face. His mustache has been a big part of every live-action adaptation featuring Poirot, with every actor portraying the detective sporting it. But Death on the Nile changes things up.
Kenneth Branagh’s gray, long, curled, and extremely well-groomed mustache in Death on the Nile, a direct sequel to Murder on the Orient Express, is central to the story. Not only do the other characters comment on it, but Poirot himself takes great pride in it (and in solving murder mysteries). Branagh once mentioned that Poirot’s mustache could be considered one of his super powers; that’s how crucial it was to his persona. However, Death on the Nile takes Poirot’s most noticeable attribute and gives it an entire backstory.
Related: Death On The Nile Cast & Character Guide
The real reason Poirot sports a mustache — per Death on the Nile’s prologue — is to cover up a war injury. He received quite a few facial lacerations after he was caught in an explosion that occurred on the front lines during World War I. After his wife Katherine visited him in the hospital, he admitted insecurity regarding his face wounds, but she told him he could grow a mustache to hide the scars. He heeded her advice and voila! Poirot went on to become the mustachioed detective everyone knows and loves. It’s made clear that Poirot never had a mustache before the war. The film ends with
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