Jason Momoa may return for 'Dune: Messiah': Report
What's the story
Jason Momoa may reprise his role as Duncan Idaho in the third installment of the Dune trilogy, currently titled Dune: Messiah, reported industry insider Jeff Sneider. The character was missing from the second film, making this development all the more interesting for viewers. The upcoming film will be directed by Denis Villeneuve and stars Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Timothée Chalamet, among others.
Character resurrection
Momoa's character to return from death in 'Dune: Messiah'
In the first film, Momoa's character dies dramatically saving Paul Atreides's life. However, fans speculate Idaho will be resurrected in Dune: Messiah as a ghola—a clone created from genetic material collected post-death. In Frank Herbert's source books, these gholas don't initially retain their previous memories but are physically identical to their original selves.
Character evolution
Idaho's unique journey and role in the 'Dune' series
In the novels, Idaho's ghola—created by the Bene Tleilax and named Hayt—undergoes training as a Mentat and a Zensunni philosopher before being gifted to Atreides. Despite initially lacking his past memories, Hayt eventually becomes the first ghola to regain them. This leads to an internal conflict as he was programmed against his will to kill Atreides but remains loyal to House Atreides throughout his journey.
Gholas
Know more about gholas and their role in 'Dune' universe
Per Dune Wiki, "To be considered a true ghola, the cells used to grow the ghola were collected after the original human had died. Gholas possessed most (if not all) of the memories of the source human, thanks to a combination of conditioning and a variant on genetic memory." "Gholas played an increasingly important role throughout the history of the known universe, starting during the reign of Emperor Paul Atreides."
Character legacy
Idaho's potential impact on future 'Dune' projects
If Momoa returns as Idaho in Dune: Messiah, it could have a major impact not just on the film, but also on his future in the wider Dune universe. In Herbert's books, Idaho's character transforms into a near-immortal being after becoming a ghola and is instrumental to many later novels. The upcoming movie is expected to release in December 2026.