Momoa fans, brace yourselves — your favorite warrior is coming back for Dune: Messiah! That’s right, despite Jason Momoa’s character, Duncan Idaho, meeting a heroic end in the first Dune (2021) film, the Game of Thrones star has confirmed his return for the next installment of Denis Villeneuve’s epic sci-fi saga. And trust us, it’s a comeback fans will not want to miss! During a recent appearance on TODAY, Momoa made the exciting announcement that he’ll be reprising his role in Dune: Messiah, much to the delight of his fans. “I’m making a comeback,” he casually said during his chat with Craig Melvin, adding, “You heard it first, right here with you, baby.”
Now, here’s where things get interesting. Since Duncan Idaho, who was the swordmaster of House Atreides and a mentor to Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), sacrificed himself to allow Paul and his mother to escape an ambush in the first film, how could he possibly return? Well, if you’re familiar with Frank Herbert’s Dune book series, you know that Duncan doesn’t stay dead for long. In the novels, Duncan is brought back as a clone, and it seems that Dune: Messiah might be following suit.
When asked if Duncan would be resurrected in the same way, Momoa cheekily responded, “Well, I’m not sure if I’m going to get in trouble or not, but it’s the same thing like Game of Thrones, you know what I mean? If you didn’t read the books, it’s not my fault, right? Yeah, there’s going to be…I’m going to be coming back.”
So, what can we expect from Dune 3?
Villeneuve has already given us a little hint. In October 2024, he shared that he was deep into the writing process for Dune: Messiah, or whatever the third installment is ultimately called. Villeneuve teased, “In order to save his friends, [Paul] has to start a war.” Fans of the books will know that Dune: Messiah dives deep into the political intrigue, imperial court drama, and cultural clashes that unfold after Paul’s victory.
While there is no announcement about the returning cast, we would not be wrong in to hoping for a few familiar faces: Timothee Chalamet as Paul, Zendaya as Chani, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, as well as a host of other stars like Javier Bardem, Anya Taylor-Joy and Charlotte Rampling. With Duncan Idaho’s surprise return, fans are more excited than ever to see how this epic saga continues! The film is set to hit theatres on December 18, 2026.
