Robert Pattinson Is Totally Unrecognizable in 'Dune: Part Three' Trailer

The trailer for Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three has officially been released, and it offers a first glimpse of Robert Pattinson as the film's shapeshifting villain, Scytale.

The actor was confirmed to have joined the film's cast back in 2025, though never officially announced which character he would be playing. Reports circulated that he would be portraying Scytale, and the new trailer confirms that.

Watch the full Dune: Part Three trailer below.

In the world of Dune, Scytale is a Face Dancer—a shapeshifting alien who can adopt the appearance of anybody he sees. In 'Dune Messiah', he joins a conspiracy to bring down the tyrannical Emperor Paul Atreides by working his way into Paul's inner circle and attempting to lure him into a deadly trap.

The first glimpse of Pattinson's Scytale has shocked even the most devout Dune fans—he appears several times in the trailer with pale white skin, cropped grey hair, and bleached eyebrows. His official character poster seems to show him mid-transformation, with a glimmering effect occupying half the image as his face morphs.

Pattinson's transformation is reminiscent of that of Austin Butler in the previous movie. Butler played Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the protégé nephew of Baron Harkonnen—his pale, bald look attracted plenty of attention online, and it seems like Pattinson's role is having the same effect.

Pattinson has a busy year ahead of him; next month, he'll be starring opposite his Dune 3 co-star Zendayain A24's The Drama—a dark comedy thriller about a young couple who struggle to overcome the pressures of one's heavy secret. In July, he will appear as the mythical Greek figure Antinous in Christopher Nolan's adaptation of The Odyssey.

Dune: Part Three releases on December 18, 2026.