Dune 2’s Post-Credits Scene Happened 45 Minutes Before The Credits Began
Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Dune: Part Two!
Summary
- Denis Villeneuve cleverly sets up the future of the Dune franchise throughout Dune: Part Two with a unique approach to post-credits scenes.
- Anya Taylor-Joy’s Alia Atreides cameo in Dune 2 serves a similar purpose to a traditional post-credits scene, setting up the future of the franchise.
- Paul Atreides’ visions in Dune 2 provided the perfect workaround for not including a post-credits scene, seamlessly integrating teases of the future.
Denis Villeneuve cleverly sets up the future of the Dune franchise throughout Dune: Part Two, including the perfect post-credits scene in the middle of the movie. The success of the first Dune movie made it possible for the filmmaker to begin thinking about the future of the series while he was making the sequel. With the first film successfully launching a new blockbuster franchise, plans for a trilogy adapting Frank Herbert’s books began to form. This raised the possibility of a Dune 2 post-credits scene being included as a means to follow Hollywood trends with most big franchises.
There is no after-credits scene included after Dune 2‘s ending even though there are plenty of possibilities for what it could have been. The setup for Dune: Messiah‘s adaptation happens throughout the film, so it would have been natural for Villeneuve to include one final tease for audiences, especially if the third installment will take several years to make. The decision to not include a traditional end-credits scene was not too surprising since even the first film did not have one. The sequel is different because Villeneuve snuck in Dune 2‘s post-credits scene 45 minutes before the credits began.
How Dune 2 Sets Up Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Messiah Movie Adaptation
Dune: Part Two nicely sets up what’s to come in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Messiah. We break down what to expect next in Dune 3 based on Dune 2’s ending.
Anya Taylor-Joy’s Alia Cameo Serves The Same Purpose As A Dune 2 Post-Credits Scene
Although Anya Taylor-Joy’s Alia Atreides cameo in Dune 2 happens long before the movie ends, the scene itself serves similar purposes as a post-credits scene. The scene shows a grown-up version of Alia Atreides in the future as she travels across a transformed Arrakis, which now has great seas of water. This makes the cameo a glimpse into the future of the Dune franchise, potentially even the events of Dune 3. In that fashion, the scene manages to directly set up the sequel. It also does not have much bearing on the main plot of Dune 2.
By showing the older Alia on Arrakis in the future, audiences are treated to a few teases that directly set up Dune 3. That is traditionally the main purpose of after-credits scenes in most movie franchises. It is due to this that Anya Taylor-Joy’s cameo could have worked as a post-credits scene in a different version of the movie. A Dune 2 end-credits scene could have used the exact same footage showing Alia on Arrakis to set up how Villeneuve will adapt Dune: Messiah. Regardless, the sequel didn’t need a post-credits scene after including this scene earlier.
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Why Dune 3 Is Even More Important Than Part 2
Dune 2 sees the rise of Emperor Paul Atreides. However, Dune 3 is where the repercussions of Paul’s messianic destiny are truly revealed.
Dune 2’s Anya Taylor-Joy Cameo Copied An MCU Post-Credits Scene Trick
Anya Taylor-Joy’s physical cameo in Dune 2 also copies a trick commonly used in post-credits scenes for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is because the franchise casting Anya Taylor-Joy is more so a promise for the future than a decision made for Dune 2. Even though Alia speaks to Jessica from in the womb, that could have easily been removed without much change to the sequel. Instead, it was decided that Anya Taylor-Joy would not only voice Alia as a baby but also be set up to return in Dune 3, even if that does not happen for several years.
Casting a high-profile star in a minor role meant to set up the sequel is exactly the same thing that MCU post-credits scenes have a habit of doing. This can be seen across a litany of their movies and shows, especially in Phase 4. Just as the MCU had Charlize Theron, Brett Goldstein, Harry Styles, and others debut in post-credits scenes as a tease that they’ll return in unannounced sequels, Dune 2 did the same with Anya Taylor-Joy. Her cameo might have come before the credits, but it follows the same practice.
Paul’s Visions Perfectly Gave Denis Villeneuve A Dune 2 Post-Credits Workaround
The reason that Denis Villeneuve was able to avoid the prototypical post-credits scene with Dune 2 is thanks to Paul Atreides. His prescient abilities provide the franchise with opportunities to work teases of the future directly into the main runtime. He uses Paul’s visions in Dune 2 to make Anya Taylor-Joy’s cameo happen 45 minutes before the credits begin to roll by showing audiences a glimpse of what Paul sees after taking the Water of Life. It could have been easy to save the same scene for a post-credits tease, but Paul makes that unnecessary.
By including the perfect Dune 2 post-credits scene at the beginning of the third act, Villeneuve manages to stay true to his word and still give audiences an exciting tease of what could come. When the first movie came out, the director told NME that he “would never” use post-credits scenes in his movies because he did not want to change the emotional impact of the actual endings of his films. Reversing that stance to give Dune: Part Two a proper end-credits scene might have pleased some viewers. Luckily, Paul’s visions gave him the perfect workaround.
Source: NME
