WARNING: Potential Spoilers for Dune 2
Zendaya's Chani and Dave Bautista's Beast Rabban Harkonnen are wasted as characters in Dune, but the as-of-yet unannounced Dune 2 will see them take on much more prominent roles. Denis Villeneuve's new adaptation of Frank Herbert's epic science-fiction tome adapts the first half of the novel it is based, on and primarily follows three factions: House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and the Fremen. When House Atreides is asked to take over stewardship of the planet Arrakis—and with it, the planet's lucrative spice mining operation—they are forced to accept despite the fact that it will presumably anger their fiercest enemies, the Harkonnens, who were the previous stewards of the planet.
Caught in the middle of it all are the Fremen, people native to Arrakis who live in the desert where spice melange is produced and cultivated. Rabban and Chani are introduced early in the film as figureheads of this conflict. Chani provides exposition, explaining that the Harkonnens (and Rabban specifically) ruled Arrakis with a brutality that resulted in the murder of countless Fremen. She expects the same when the Atreides arrive on her home planet, but the Fremen that come into contact with the noble house are surprised at their compassionate approach to the indigenous people.
Despite being introduced in the opening moments of Dune and featuring heavily in the marketing for the film, Zendaya and Bautista's characters in Dune are largely relegated to the sidelines of the movie. Bautista shares a few scenes with Stellan Skarsgård's Baron Vladimir Harkonnen while Zendaya is featured prominently in Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet) dreams and visions before making a brief appearance at the end.
How Dune Wastes Zendaya and Dave Bautista
It's possible for a character to have little screen time and still not be wasted. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs is a prime example of this. What Dune does with Chani and Rabban, though, is a bit different. Neither of the characters are developed much beyond their initial introductions as prophetic guide and brutal villain. Chani is mostly shown through artsy, slow-motion shots of her wandering through the desert and interacting, albeit briefly, with Paul.
Rabban gets a few scenes with his uncle, Baron Harkonnen, but he never interacts with Dune's main cast of characters. It's one thing to have a brutal villain like Rabban lord over Dune, but if it never follows through on the promise of villainy, especially when it comes to exercising that over protagonists Paul and Lady Jessica, then it's a largely pointless endeavor.
Why Dune Wastes Zendaya and Dave Bautista
Dune wastes Zendaya and Bautista primarily because there isn't really much for them to do in the story Villeneuve is telling. While Chani and Rabban are integral characters in the overall plot of the novel, Villeneuve's choice to split the Dune novel in two parts for his adaptation largely leaves them treading water in the first movie. Yet, it would've been difficult for Villeneuve to make the first film without at least laying the groundwork for their characters.
This puts Villeneuve in a complicated position. Those hoping to see more of Bautista and Zedaya were sorely disappointed upon watching the film and this factors into one of the main criticisms detractors of Dune have had—the story feels incomplete. Part of that is the fact that Rabban, who serves as a primary villain, and Chani, who serves as Paul's eventual love interest, aren't fleshed out as two important characters in the overarching hero's journey Paul goes on in Dune.
Why Dune 2 Won't Waste Zendaya or Dave Bautista
Rabban is clearly being set up as the primary antagonist of Dune 2's plot. In the novel, Baron Harkonnen has his own plans for Rabban that will see his brutish nephew retake Arrakis and subjugate the Fremen. In one scene in Dune, the Baron even tells Rabban to "kill them all" when Bautista's character asks what they should do with the planet's locals. This sets him up to be in direct conflict with Paul, who will eventually become a leader to the Fremen.
House Harkonnen's ruthless plot will only push this concept further. With the potential introduction of Feyd-Rautha, his other nephew, the Baron has darker plans. In the hopes of earning the Fremen's favor in the long run, he pushes Rabban to be as brutal as possible towards the people of Arrakis. This is because he plans to eventually install Feyd as a more benevolent leader, one who will be seen by the people of Arrakis as a savior. Bautista's character will not only come into conflict with Paul, but the inner-workings of his own dysfunctional family will serve to undermine his position, likely leading to brutal consequences.
Similarly, Zendaya's Chani only becomes more important in the second half of the Dune novel. Alongside Javier Bardem's Stilgar, Chani serves as a sort of guide for Paul and Lady Jessica as they integrate into the Fremen. She will also become his lover and the mother of his son, Leto II. She is also integral in spurring on the holy war seen in Paul's prophetic visions and dreams.
Ultimately, it is disappointing that both Bautista and Zendaya were not given much to do in Dune. Fortunately, Villeneuve had the foresight to know that these roles would need to be cast with major actors and locking in the pair was a smart move production-wise. While it won't bear fruit for another few years—as Dune 2 still hasn't gotten the green light from Warner Bros.—it shows the director's expertise not only in building a prominent cast to be the face of his film, but also in the source material itself. Dune has long been seen as an unadaptable novel and, so far, it seems Villeneuve has pulled off what others before him have not been able to. The director is playing the long game here, though, ensuring that he has a stable of actors who will be able to come through and anchor what is likely to be an even bigger, more explosive, and more expansive sequel.