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Who is Hayt? Jason Momoa returns to 'Dune 3' but not as the character we all know him for

The trailer of the third installment includes a fleeting look at Jason Momoa's character, but not as a flashback

Jason Momoa returns in 'Dune 3', but not as the noble Duncan Idaho who sacrificed himself to protect Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) from the elite Sardukar soldiers in 'Dune: Part One'. The trailer of the third installment included a fleeting look at Momoa, but not as a flashback. The 'Aquaman' star is reintroduced as Hayt, a resurrected and weaponized version of Idaho. This suggests that the upcoming film will highlight one of the most important races from Frank Herbert's 'Dune' books: the Bene Tleilax. The group is known to genetically engineer themselves, but also create 'Gholas'  — blank clones of the original host body.

There are a few modifications this time around. Hayt is not expected to carry any of Duncan's memories, and the character clarifies in 'Dune Messiah,' "I know nothing of my past for sure, my Lord. It was explained that I can have no memory of my former life. All that remains from before is the pattern set by the genes. There are, however, niches into which once-familiar things may fit. There are voices, places, foods, faces, sounds, actions — a sword in my hand, the controls of a 'thopter ..." as per Slashfilm. 'Dune 3' will see Hayt's primary objective as distracting Paul's sister, Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy), who is expected to play a major role in the film.

The film's director, Denis Villeneuve, also shared his take on Hayt and his impact on Paul. "He comes back just at the right moment in the story," he told Variety. "And it’s a very important comeback. Paul is struggling with his identity, and having that kind of strong Atreides figure coming back from the past will have a tremendous impact," he added. For now, it is unclear whether Momoa's Hayt, likely to be introduced as a threat, will eventually grapple with inner struggles, especially with a few of Idaho's traits remaining, even if Gholas are technically blank slates. This will add another layer to the character, while also exploring the relationship between Paul and his mentor, picking up from the first film.

The official logline for 'Dune 3' is yet to be revealed, but Villeneuve had a cryptic tease for fans. "I said to my team that it will be a very different film, very different, a Dune movie but with a different tone, with a different rhythm, with a different pace," he said, as per IGN. The story sees a major time jump and is set 17 years after the events of 'Dune: Part II'. The returning cast includes Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Isaach De Bankolé, Charlotte Rampling, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, and Javier Bardem. Newcomers Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke round out the ensemble cast. The blockbuster is slated to release on December 18, and in the meantime, fans can catch the first two films on Netflix, Hulu, and Max.