New MCU star Florence Pugh is now in talks to join Dune: Part Two's cast. Denis Villeneuve brought Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel to life in epic fashion in 2021, as Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides led an all-star cast. Dune proved to be a major hit with audiences and critics alike, as it made over $400 million worldwide and became an awards contender, which included a Best Picture nomination. The great success pushed Warner Bros. to confirm that Villeneuve would get to make Dune 2.
Denis Villeneuve's plans for the Dune franchise were always meant to include a second movie, as he split the dense tale of Paul Atreides into two parts. The confirmation of Dune 2 came in late October 2021 as Warner Bros. gave the sequel a 2023 release date. There have been multiple teases about what the sequel will contain, including more action, but casting new characters hasn't happened so far. Instead, it has been established that most of the main ensemble will return for Dune 2, including Zendaya's Chani, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem. Now, it appears the sequel might have landed another MCU star.
According to a report from THR, Florence Pugh is in talks to join Dune: Part Two. A deal is not closed for the recent Black Widow and Hawkeye star to appear, but it is believed that she'll play Princess Irulan, the daughter of the Emperor, in the sequel. According to this report, Pugh is waiting to see the next draft of the script before agreeing to join Dune 2, but scheduling issues could also prevent her from joining the ensemble. If she does, it will mark her second collaboration with Chalamet.
Florence Pugh has been a rising star in Hollywood for the last few years. She first gained recognition for Lady Macbeth in 2016 and became a much bigger name thanks to her three 2019 releases, Fighting with My Family, Midsommar, and Little Women - which brought her an Oscar nomination. She's since joined the MCU as Yelena Belova in Black Widow and Hawkeye. If a deal closes for Florence Pugh to appear in Dune 2, it will mark the latest exciting project she has coming. The actress already has Olivia Wilde's Don't Worry Darling and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer upcoming, so working with Denis Villeneuve on the Dune sequel would be another big project for her.
The potential of Florence Pugh playing Princess Irulan in Dune 2 could give her a prominent role in the sequel. In the books, Irulan becomes romantically involved with Paul Atreides as part of his plan to be the galaxy's new emperor. Although Princess Irulan only has a small role in the original Herbert novel, she does become a bigger character as the series continues. The indication that Florence Pugh could be involved points to Dune: Part Two likely increasing Princess Irulan's role from the beginning, while also leaving room for her to appear more down the road. Now fans of Pugh and the Dune franchise will have to wait and see if she ultimately agrees to appear in the movie.
Source: THR
