57 Years Later, Jason Momoa Will Finally Fulfill the Weirdest 'Dune 3' Plot Twist

What is the endgame of Dune? Well, if you've read the original six Frank Herbert novels, the answer is that the only character that survives into the far future is a clone of Duncan Idaho. As played by Jason Momoa in Dune: Part One, Duncan seemed to survive, but now, in Dune: Part Three, he's back. And, as this just-released trailer teases, Duncan's return from the grave isn't even the weirdest twist about the character. In the brand-new trailer for Dune: Part Three, it looks like the new film will fulfill the Duncan twist in a big way.

Here's the new Dune: Part Three trailer, plus what it means, and why Robert Pattinson is morphing into Zendaya. Spoilers from 1969 ahead. Possible, accidental spoilers for Dune: Part Three (2026).

New Dune 3 trailer reveals a 1969 twist

There's a lot going on in the Dune: Part Three trailer. Paul (Timothée Chalamet) is losing his power to see the future, and his one true love, Chani (Zendaya), is getting impersonated by Scytale (Robert Pattinson), a shapeshifter known in the Dune universe as a "Face Dancer." (They move their faces to become other people, get it?)

But the trailer also reveals that the reborn Duncan, now known as Hayt, has been offered to Paul, and Chani has a gift. This checks out with the 1969 text of the second book, Dune Messiah, in which Hayt is a kind of walking time-bomb sent to Paul as a present. But the weird thing about the book, which the movie seems to be following, is that Paul is totally aware of the scheme, but can't really do anything about it.

And, the biggest twist is that although Haty is programmed to destroy the House Atreides, at the last minute, in the book, he saves the twin children of Paul and Chani, Leto II, and Ghanima.

So, yes, Jason Momoa is poised to save Paul's children in the end, who become the main focus in the next book, the 1976 novel, Children of Dune.

Is Dune: Part Four coming after Dune: Part Three? James Bond could be a factor

As of this writing, the director Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three is billed as the end of this film trilogy. Since 2021, the director has said he saw his adaptation of Dune as a trilogy, so if there are sequels beyond Dune: Part Three, it won't be with Villeneuve.

It's also worth noting that Villeneuve's next film is the 26th James Bond movie, meaning that even if Warner Bros. or anyone else wanted him to do another movie, he's probably busy.

That said, Villeneuve has never expressed an interest in adapting more Dune books beyond the first two. Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two are a combined adaptation of the first novel, while Dune: Part Three will, in theory, only adapt the second book.

Could we get more Dune movies after 2026? There are plenty of legends left in the sands of Arrakis. So, never say never. At this point, even Paul can't see the future.

Dune: Part Three release date versus Avengers: Doomsday

Dune: Part Three will hit theaters on December 18, 2026. This is the exact same date as Avengers: Doomsday. Everyone, from Chalamet to Robert Downey Jr. is calling this "DunesDay," so the idea that this will be a very interesting holiday movie season is already ensured. Whether the Avengers can beat the sandworms remains to be seen.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jul 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published July 8, 2026 at 1:28 PM.