To be clear, nothing apart from Anya Taylor-Joy’s involvement in “Dune: Part Two” has been confirmed at this time. And in order to give as many fans around the world the best possible experience, even her casting ought to be treated like a major spoiler. But for those obsessives on the prowl for even the tiniest possible detail to devour — and trust us, as big “Dune”-heads, we certainly empathize — we can at least speculate about just which major character from the novel that the popular actor could potentially be bringing to life.
Those who’ve read author Frank Herbert’s original “Dune” know that there aren’t a ton of options left for mystery characters, considering that newcomers pretty much have all their roles spoken for. Austin Butler is confirmed to depict Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, nephew to the Baron (Stellan Skarsgård) and cousin to Dave Bautista’s Beast Rabban. Florence Pugh is set as Princess Irulan, daughter of the Emperor (Christopher Walken). Léa Seydoux’s character is Lady Margot Fenring, an enigmatic new character who plays a large role in the novel(s), while Tim Blake Nelson, glaringly absent from any of the marketing thus far, remains a mystery (though it’s likely to be Lady Margot’s husband, Count Hasimir Fenring).
So where does that leave us with Taylor-Joy? Well, without knowing at what point “Part Two” ends, it’s possible that she plays the character of Alia Atreides, Paul’s sister. But wait — since Lady Jessica was only in the earliest stages of pregnancy by the end of the first film, how much of a time-jump is there in order for the 27-year-old Taylor-Joy to play the part? Readers know that Alia’s aging isn’t exactly normal, but we’ll just leave it at that.
“Dune: Part Two” arrives March 1, 2024.