A major casting announcement has been made for Dune: Part Three, teasing that the upcoming Dune Messiah adaptation may be lifting one of Dune: Part Two‘s most significant adaptational changes. Anya Taylor-Joy made her Dune debut in Dune: Part Two, where she played an older version of Alia Atreides, a role that she will reprise in the upcoming sequel.

While Anya Taylor-Joy’s appearance in Dune: Part Two was fun, some Dune fans found it odd, as the character hadn’t been born yet. In the Dune book series, Alia stays a child for a while after she is born. So, Dune: Part Two had to find a unique way to age up Alia for her appearance at the end of the film.

Denis Villeneuve added an extra premonition to Dune: Part Two, one where Paul Atreides sees the older version of Alia. In the vision, the Anya Taylor-Joy character is seen on an Arrakis that is filled with water, pushing Paul into the future of his plan.

Paul’s Children In Dune 3 Could Be Copying Dune 2’s Alia Atreides Change

Paul Could See Them In A Vision

Dune: Part Two‘s Alia change may be odd, but it could already explain the mystery surrounding this Dune: Part Three casting announcement. It has been revealed that Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke will play Paul and Chani’s children in the third film, with them playing Leto II and Ghanima respectively.

However, the odd thing has to do with the actor’s ages. Both actors are around 16 years old, which is much older than Leto II and Ghanima are in Dune Messiah. They are only just born in the film, meaning that they shouldn’t be 16 during the story that Dune: Part Three is adapting.

One likely explanation for this casting is that Paul could have another premonition, one that shows older versions of his kids. Leto II and Ghanima may still be played by young children throughout most of Dune: Part Three, with these actors only appearing in glimpses of the future.

Other Explanations For Paul’s Kids Being So Much Older In Dune 3

Could Dune 3 Adapt Children Of Dune?

While the premonition theory seems likely, there are other explanations for Paul’s kids being older than they should be in Dune: Part Three. One possibility is that the third movie could also adapt Children of Dune. The kids are older in this Dune book, and since this is Villeneuve’s last Dune movie, he may want to tackle both.

Syfy’s Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune series was already an adaptation of Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, so there is precedent for the stories to be combined in adaptation. While the characters could always just be aged up for Dune: Part Three, both of these theories seem more likely based on the franchise’s past.