Robert Pattinson could soon be joining another high-profile franchise, as he is being eyed for a major role in the upcoming Dune: Messiah. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor is being considered for the villainous role of Scytale, a character originally portrayed by Martin McDougall in the 2003 miniseries Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune. The outlet notes that “no offer” has been made to Pattinson at this time. The goal is for director Denis Villeneuve to begin production on Dune: Messiah at some point this summer.
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Though Pattinson has reportedly not been officially offered a role yet, that “circling” is being used to describe his possible casting is a sign there’s more to this than hearsay or general rumors. It sounds like if Pattinson is keen on joining Dune: Messiah, the part will be his.
Though Villeneuve initially thought he was going to take a break from the Dune franchise before helming Messiah, he changed his mind after seeing the enthusiastic reactions to Dune: Part Two last year. In late March, Jason Momoa confirmed he’ll be returning to the series. Other cast members include Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, the latter of whom has a busy schedule that could present an issue for the Dune: Messiah production timeline.
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While Dune: Messiah has not been officially added to Warner Bros.’ release calendar as of this writing, the studio does have a December 2026 date reserved for an unspecified Villeneuve-directed “event film.” For a time, some thought this window could be for Nuclear War: A Scenario or another project Villeneuve has in development, but now it seems likely Dune: Messiah will slide into that date.
News of Pattinson’s potential involvement is interesting. The actor is currently filming Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey (which coincidentally also stars Zendaya), and he also has The Batman Part II coming through the pipeline. Matt Reeves’ Batman sequel has been subject to multiple delays throughout its development, so DC fans might be concerned The Batman Part II is going to be delayed again if Pattinson signs on for Dune: Messiah. However, the actor should be able to do both. Pattinson previously stated that production on The Batman Part II will commence “at the end of the year,” so it shouldn’t conflict with Dune: Messiah‘s summer shoot. It’s also important to keep in mind Warner Bros. distributes both franchises, so the studio would likely ensure one wouldn’t negatively impact the other.
In his post-Twilight career, Pattinson has established himself as a versatile actor with an impressive range to portray a variety of roles. It would be fascinating to see him get a chance to sink his teeth into a villain role, especially one as prominent as Scytale. In the Dune: Messiah book, Scytale is a Tleilaxu Face Dancer who is a primary player in the plot to destroy Paul Atreides. He would be a very compelling figure for Pattinson to portray, so hopefully this bit of casting comes to fruition. The previous Dune films have featured memorable antagonists, such as Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha, and it would be great to see Pattinson add to that legacy.
