Dune: Messiah gets promising update as Jason Momoa confirms his return to the space opera franchise

According to the latest reports, the epic space opera franchise Dune has received a promising update as Game of Thrones star Jason Momoa opens up about his return to Dune: Messiah. The film is currently being eyed for a December 2026 release, and earlier in 2024, helmer Dennis Villeneuve had confirmed that Dune: Messiah will be a conclusion to his Frank Herbert adaptation.

According to Shortlist, Jason Momoa recently talked about multiple upcoming projects, and Dune: Messiah was definitely worth the mention. The star, when asked about the progress on the film's production, reportedly said,

"It's going well…"

Further, in the Today Show, he clarified that his character will make an appearance in the movie. Mamoa said,

"I’m making a comeback."

The official synopsis of Dune: Messiah, per IMDb, reads:

"It follows Muad'dib, heir to unimaginable power, as he brings to fruition the ancient scheme to create a superbeing ruler among men, not in the heavens."

Jason Momoa will reprise his role in Dune: Messiah

According to Deadline, Dune: Messiah will reportedly go into production in the summer of 2025, and currently the movie is in the pre-production stage. With Dune: Part Two bagging impressive BO numbers, the long-running franchise's fame has now hit a different level; Dune: Messiah is now the talk of the town.

Moreover, Villeneuve has already confirmed that this will be his last addition to the franchise, and thus, a conclusive film comes with bigger challenges (especially when the previous one has been such a big hit). The intensity of the project is quite evident from Momoa's words, who, while talking to Shortlist in an interview, reportedly mentioned:

"Then there’s…gosh… 'Dune 3'…"

Dune: Messiah will have a theatrical premiere on December 18, 2026, and the story will center on Timothy Chalamet's Emperor Paul Atreides as he carries on his space adventures. After Jason Momoah's Duncan Idaho is killed off during the first Dune movie's conclusion, fans have been left anticipating whether he will return.

Putting an end to the long-burning question, Dune: Messiah might follow in the footsteps of the original novel and bring back Duncan Idaho to life using what commonly goes by the term 'ghola'. It involves complex biological procedures where a dead person's DNA is replicated to form what we also know as a clone.

The present production timeline for Dune: Messiah absolutely makes sense, as Zendaya would be available to shoot her part if cameras roll by late summer—given the fact that she'd be occupied with multiple projects, one of them being Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. Per Direct, Dune: Messiah will give a significant amount of screen time to Anya Taylor-Joy in the role of Alia Atreides.