Let's get one thing straight: Duncan Idaho is dead. Like, blades-through-the-chest, heroic-sacrifice, Paul-Atreides-mourning-him dead. And yet, Jason Momoa—Hollywood's most lovable chaos gremlin—just blurted out on Today that he's back for Dune 3. Cue the collective ”Huh?!” from casual fans and book-readers smugly folding their arms.
Villeneuve's Narrative Jujitsu
Denis Villeneuve isn't just adapting Frank Herbert's Messiah—he's weaponizing its weirdness. For the uninitiated: Dune's lore has more resurrections than a Fast & Furious sequel. The books bring Duncan back as a ghola (clone-meets-ghost-meets-philosophical chew toy), a move so audacious it makes Star Wars' “Somehow, Palpatine returned” look like a toddler's improv.
But here's the twist: Villeneuve hates cheap revivals. His Dune films are austere, surgical—no Marvel quips, no nostalgia bait. So why resurrect Duncan? Three theories:
- Visions & Nightmares: Paul's spice-fueled prophecies could hallucinate Momoa into scenes, like Anya Taylor-Joy's womb-bound Alia.
- The Ghola Gambit: The Bene Tleilax's clone tech lets Duncan return… with upgrades. (Cue Momoa cracking jokes as a bioengineered super-soldier.)
- Villeneuve's Curveball: He'll rewrite the book's plot entirely, because rules are for Harkonnens.
Hollywood's Reboot Fatigue Antidote
Most franchises resurrect characters like stale bread—see Star Trek, Jurassic Park, or The Walking Dead's zombie-of-the-week. But Dune's revival isn't fan service; it's canon. Herbert's saga treats death like a revolving door, but with purpose: Duncan's returns explore identity, memory, and whether heroes should come back.
Compare that to DC's Aquaman reboot (RIP Momoa's Arthur Curry) or Star Wars' hollow revivals. Dune isn't just playing the game—it's rewriting the rules.
Momoa's WB Empire
Warner Bros. must love this guy. Between Dune, Lobo, and his (maybe?) Fast X future, Momoa's become their human Swiss Army knife—equal parts charm and controlled chaos. His Today slip-up? Classic Momoa. The man leaks projects like a sieve, and we're here for it.
The Spice Must Flow (But the Hype? Already Here)
Villeneuve's Messiah won't hit until 2026-ish, but the hype train's left the station. Will Duncan's return be a mind-bend or a misstep? Either way, Dune just reminded Hollywood: True sci-fi isn't about flashy deaths—it's about what comes after.
