This was announced just as I was going to bed last night so I left it until now. It had been a long day and, if I’m honest, I needed some time to think about my reactions to this one. Duncan is one of my favourite characters and a massive part of the overall Dune saga, even if he only plays a small part in the first book. That small part in itself is a very memorable one.

I have slept on the idea. Actually, that’s not technically true. I thought about the idea during the several occasions in the night when I was feeding my 11 month old baby. I’m now ready to give my take.

At first, this announcement threw me completely. Jason Momoa was so far away from my image of Duncan that I wasn’t thrilled. I love him as Khal Drogo and Aquaman but I just couldn’t see him as Duncan Idaho. That was the role that I had Chiwetel Ejiofor pegged for. The more I think about it, though, the more he does fit the description of Duncan in the book. Charismatic, good with the ladies, a dark round face and curling black hair. Also, I can see him taking on 19 Sardaukar quite easily. Some online have said that he is too muscular to be a swordmaster but he managed alright in Conan the Barbarian and he is trained in jiu-jitsu which means he must be quite bendy (for want of a better word

So, after some initial reservations, I’d say I’m on board with this. He’s got buckets of presence and he is fast becoming something of a box office draw, which can only be a good thing for the overall success of the film.

That’s two more announcements right next to each other. I wonder who’s next. Will we find out who Feyd-Rautha is going to be, or Liet, or Shaddam. Subscribe to this site to get all the news, usually a few hours after everyone else gets it from proper websites!

You can check out my other casting reactions, along with my original picks, below.

Fantasy Casting – Dune

Casting Dune – Josh Brolin initial reactions

Casting Dune – Javier Bardem initial reactions

Casting Dune- Zendaya initial reactions

Casting Dune – Oscar Isaac initial reactions

Casting Dune – Charlotte Rampling initial reactions

Casting Dune – Stellan Skarsgård initial reactions

Casting Dune – Dave Bautista initial reactions

Casting Dune – Rebecca Ferguson initial reactions

Casting Dune – Timothee Chalamet initial reactions

Thanks for reading,

Richard