Dune star confirms he is returning in third film: ‘If you didn’t read the books, it’s not my fault’

Jason Momoa says he is reprising role as swordmaster Duncan Idaho in third part of sci-fi blockbuster

Fans who believed they had seen the last of Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho in Dune can rest easy as the actor has confirmed he is returning in the final part of the trilogy.

The Game of Thrones star appeared in the first instalment of the sci-fi blockbuster, Dune, in 2021, playing Duncan Idaho, a swordmaster of House Atreides, who mentors Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides in the martial arts.

Idaho sacrifices himself to allow Paul and his mother Jessica, played by Rebecca Ferguson, time to escape an ambush, similar to how he dies in the Frank Herbert novel that the Denis Villeneuve-directed film is adapted from.

He did not reprise his role in Dune: Part Two, which released in 2024.

Momoa played House Atreides swordmaster Duncan Idaho in the first Dune film in 2021 (Legendary Pictures/Warner Bros Pictures)

Speaking to Craig Melvin on Today, Momoa confirmed his appearance in Dune 3, which is reportedly based on Herbert’s Dune Messiah.

“I’m making a comeback,” said the Aquaman star. “You heard it first, right here with you, baby.”

In Dune Messiah, which takes place 12 years after the events of Dune: Part Two, Idaho is brought back as Hayt, a clone of his former self, and presented to Paul.

When asked if his role in the third film would follow the trajectory his character took in the books, Momoa turned coy, but didn’t appear to be upset that he may have revealed a spoiler.

“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?” Momoa said.

“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.”

Reports from April 2024 stated that the third film, still untitled, was already in development. In February this year, reports said shooting was expected to begin this summer, but June was considered too early with a mid-late summer start seen as more feasible.

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Zendaya is likely to return as Chani, but production will likely have to work around her busy 2025 schedule, which includes Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, a fourth Spider-Man film and Euphoria season 3.

Zendaya is likely to return to Dune 3 as Chani but production will likely have to work around her busy 2025 schedule (Warner Bros Pictures Inc)

The epic adaptation has proven a huge hit for the director and Warner Bros, with Dune: Part Two earning over $700m (£555m) worldwide and five Oscar nominations.

In February 2024, even before the release of Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve shared that the third film would be his final instalment in the franchise.

The director said in December 2023 that Dune Messiah was “being written right now”, adding: “The screenplay is almost finished but it is not finished. It will take a little time … There’s a dream of making a third movie … it would make absolute sense to me.”

Momoa revealed in 2021 that he snuck an Easter egg into the first film in tribute to his son. Idaho’s martial arts moves were heavily inspired by the Filipino national martial art of Kali.

In an interview with IndieWire, Momoa said that he “never really learned” the martial art style prior to Dune, though his son knew it well.

“My son does that,” Momoa said. “There’s definitely these intimate moments where I’m signalling to my son. That’s a Kali move, where you put your hand on your heart and put it on your head. That’s to Timothée in the movie, but that’s to my son in real life.”