Who is Scytale in Dune 3? Robert Pattinson's rumored character, explained

Dune 3 will serve as the third installment in the Dune franchise, based on Frank Herbert's 1969 novel, Dune Messiah. Both the novel and the film will act as a sequel to Dune. Denis Villeneuve is anticipated to return as the director after the first two films.

Recently, there have been several announcements regarding the film. Shooting is expected to commence in the summer of 2025. Multiple reports indicate that Robert Pattinson will portray the character Scytale in the upcoming movie. Let us delve into the character he is rumored to play. Read on.

Exploring Robert Pattinson's Scytale role in Dune 3

In April 2025, The Hollywood Reporter stated that Robert Pattinson would be playing the antagonist Scytale in Dune 3. However, it has been reported that the actor has not yet been offered the role. The Dune franchise showcases intriguing characters like the Baron and Feyd-Rautha.

In Herbert's book, Scytale was originally named Tleilaxu Face Dancer. The origin of the Face Dancer has been explored in HBO's television show Dune Prophecy, which features shapeshifting individuals. The character eventually encounters Paul-Muad'Dib Atreides and plays a crucial role in attempting to dethrone him and surrender to Tleilaxu. After negotiations fail between them, Scytale threatens to harm Paul's child.

Before the release of Dune: Part Two, the film's director, Denis Villeneuve, expressed his interest in creating Dune 3, which will conclude the trilogy. Hans Zimmer has been brought back to compose the music for the third installment.

In a February 2024 interview with Vanity Fair, the director discussed the time jump in the third film.

“The Dune book ends with the beginning of something that is out of control, and I thought this was a very powerful ending. I feel that both movies complete the adaptation of the book, and I feel very good about that. When people ask me, is there a world where I could do Messiah? Yes…“I will respect again Frank Herbert’s idea to jump in time. That’s what I would love to do.”

Denis further added,

“I want to make sure that if we go back there a third time that it’ll be worth it, and that it would make something even better than Part Two. It needs to be different. I don’t want to fall into dogmas. I don’t want to fall into a vocabulary that has been predefined by the first two movies. I would love to make something different. We are figuring that out right now.”

Dune was written by Villeneuve, Eric Roth, and Jon Spaihts. The film showcased Paul Atreides from House Atreides, who is forced into a war for the planet Arrakis. It was released on October 22, 2021, following its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. The cast included Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, and Josh Brolin, among others. The film received positive reviews and grossed over $400 million at the box office. Its sequel, Dune: Part Two, continued the storyline and is set to be released on March 1, 2024.

Are you excited about Robert Pattinson playing Scytale in Dune 3?