Is Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho In Dune 2?
Summary
- Jason Momoa does not return for Dune 2 due to Duncan Idaho’s crucial death that sets the plot.
- Chalamet teases Momoa’s return in Dune 3, hinting at the possibility of him coming back in a sequel.
- Momoa can return if Dune 3 follows the books, where Duncan is brought back to life in various ways.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has assembled a formidable cast as it continues to bring Frank Herbert’s science fiction epic to life in an awe-inspiring way, but questions could remain if Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho will return for the sequel. One of the more popular characters in Dune due to his laid-back charm, Duncan Idaho is an adventurous and skilled fighter who serves House Atreides as a swordmaster. While Timothée Chalamet is a good fit as protagonist Paul Atreides, Jason Momoa perfectly embodies Duncan Idaho, endearing himself to viewers. Whether he appears in Dune‘s sequel will definitely affect its tone.
Herbert’s first Dune novel has been split into two movies, with his second book, Dune: Messiah, capping off a planned trilogy. Dune‘s ending leaves Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), marooned in the harsh, worm-infested desert of Arrakis after Paul’s father, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), is captured. After Paul proves himself, though, he is allowed to hide out with the Fremen, including the mysterious Chani (Zendaya). Dune 2 continues Paul’s story and keeps much of the first movie’s cast ― but not every character survives to make the cut.
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Jason Momoa Does Not Return In Dune 2
Jason Momoa does not return in Dune: Part Two for one significant reason: his character, Duncan Idaho, is among Dune‘s major character deaths. Duncan is introduced early in Dune, with the warrior sent to Arrakis ahead of House Atreides’ takeover. Duncan’s mission is to scope out the planet and look into its Indigenous Fremen population. Heroic to the end, Duncan is killed defending Paul, Lady Jessica, and Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster) from Sardaukar warriors in an impressive fight scene. It’s an important sacrifice, as it means that, unlike Leto, Paul and his mother can hide in the desert among the Fremen.
Even with various sci-fi elements in play, it’s no surprise that Momoa is not among the Dune 2 cast, which includes returnees such as Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, as well as newcomers, such as Florence Pugh as Irulan. Momoa, meanwhile, spent his time not being involved in Dune 2 to make a variety of other projects. While it’s a shame Momoa didn’t get the chance to do more with Duncan Idaho, his death was needed for the plot to stay faithful to Frank Herbert’s novel. The sequel avoids the temptation to include him in a cameo somewhere.
Jason Momoa’s Dune Return Has Already Been Teased For Dune 3
Dune might have killed Duncan Idaho, and Dune 2 might not have any indications that he is alive, but Jason Momoa’s return to the franchise for Dune 3 has already been teased. In the lead-up to Dune 2‘s release, Timothée Chalamet did an interview with MTV and confidently teased that his former co-star would be back. He said, “Momoa will be back. Not in this one, but [in Dune Messiah].” It is through this simple comment that Chalamet has confirmed plans for Jason Momoa to return in Dune 3, even if a formal announcement has not been made.
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No one else involved in the Dune franchise has commented on the prospects of Momoa playing Duncan Idaho again. This could be because Dune 3 has yet to be officially announced by Warner Bros. Still, director Denis Villeneuve has remained quiet on any plans to bring back the fan-favorite actor from the first film. Momoa has also not specified any plans for him to be part of Dune 3. With Chalamet stating that the Duncan Idaho actor will be back, though, there is little doubt that this would change as Dune 3 moves through development.
How Duncan Idaho’s Dune Return Is Possible Despite His Death
In the world of Dune, death doesn’t always mean the end of a character. After his grisly death, Duncan Idaho actually pops up again in Frank Herbert’s sequel book Dune Messiah, which Denis Villeneuve hopes to adapt as the third Dune film. In the Dune Messiah novel, a clone of Duncan is created to act as an assassin. Named Hayt, he lacks Duncan’s memories but quickly grows close to Paul’s sister Alia. This means that if Villeneuve gets to make Dune 3 and sticks to the plot, it would make sense for Jason Momoa to come back in the role after sitting out the second movie.
Frank Herbert actually resurrects the warrior multiple times in his books. In God Emperor of Dune, Paul’s son Leto is a monstrous, half-worm, near-immortal ruler. For his personal protection ― as well as his amusement ― Leto Jnr uses cloning technology to make more and more Duncans, often eventually executing them when they try to assassinate their master. Being stuck in a horrifying death loop is a grim fate, but that is what could await Duncan if Villeneuve continues deeper into the universe of the novels past Dune: Part Two ― a hard task, since Dune only gets weirder with each sequel.
Source: MTV
