Robert Pattinson ‘eyed for antagonist role in Dune: Messiah’
Robert Pattinson is reportedly in contention to play the villain Scytale in 'Dune: Messiah' - though no formal offer to the actor has been made yet.
Robert Pattinson is reportedly being considered for a villain role in ‘Dune: Messiah’.
The upcoming sci-fi blockbuster will be director Denis Villeneuve’s third instalment in his ‘Dune’ trilogy, and Deadline has now reported Pattinson, 38, is being eyed to play the antagonist Scytale.
The villain is a Face Dancer and secret agent of the Bene Tleilax, who plays a central role in ‘Dune: Messiah’ as part of a conspiracy to overthrow Paul Atreides by using deception, genetic manipulation, and political intrigue.
While Warner Bros. and Legendary are supposedly interested in the ‘Mickey 17’ star, Deadline reports no formal offer has been presented to Pattinson yet.
If ‘The Batman’ actor does sign on to ‘Dune: Messiah’, he will be joining a star-studded cast, consisting of Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem and Jason Momoa - who will be reprising his role as the resurrected Duncan Idaho.
‘Dune: Messiah’ - which will be based on author Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel of the same name - follows Paul Atreides (Chalamet) 12 years into his reign as Emperor of the Known Universe, as the religious cult built around him begins to spiral beyond his control - with a catastrophic war that claims billions of lives across the galaxy being fought in his name.
‘Dune: Messiah’ is reportedly set to begin filming in June ahead of its December 2026 release date.
Meanwhile, Pattinson is preparing to shoot ‘The Batman: Part II’, though the actor admitted he fears he will be "old" by the time the DC superhero movie is made.
Speaking with his ‘Mickey 17’ co-star Naomi Ackie about whether he’d play Batman again soon for Hero magazine, Pattinson said: "I f****** hope so.
"I started out as young Batman and I’m going to be f****** old Batman by the sequel."
Despite his advancing years, the ‘Twilight’ star stressed he was "healthier" and had lowered his "biological age".
He said: "I’m 38, I’m old. I’m old, but I’m healthier. I think I’ve actually brought my biological age down a bit."
As well as Pattinson’s Caped Crusader, ‘The Batman: Part II’ will see the return of Zoe Kravitz’s Catwoman, Colin Farrell’s Penguin, Andy Serkis’s Alfred Pennyworth and Jeffrey Wright’s James ‘Jim’ Gordon.
‘The Batman: Part II’ was originally due to land in theatres in October 2026, though the movie was delayed to the following year to give director Matt Reeves more time to finish the story.
In February, Pattinson confirmed principal photography on ‘The Batman: Part II’ would begin at the end of 2025.
When asked about the production start date by Variety, he said: "I think at the end of the year?
"And I know what it’s about but I can’t tell anyone, but it’s like, it’s very cool. It’s very exciting."
As he finishes up the script, director Matt Reeves teased he hopes fans will be “surprised” by the story of ‘The Batman: Part II’.
He told Deadline: "We’re doing something where the story continues from, but I hope that people will be surprised by."
