Austin Butler teasing that he'll be playing Feyd-Rautha as a complex villain in Dune: Part Two makes Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi sequel even more exciting. Born in 1991, Butler began his career in children's television, in shows such as Nickelodeon's Zoey 101 and The Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, before breaking out into film. No stranger to complex roles, Butler is perhaps best known for playing Manson Family member Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and for his critically acclaimed role as the titular rock-and-roll star in Baz Luhrmann's 2022 biopic Elvis.
In the second part of Denis Villeneuve's film adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune, Austin Butler is playing the role of Feyd-Rautha, originally portrayed by singer Sting in David Lynch's 1984 adaptation. Feyd-Rautha is the favorite nephew of the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard), and the brother of the "Beast" Rabban (Dave Bautista). Feyd-Rautha serves as the Harkonnen's counterpart to Dune's Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), with Feyd being both the heir of Baron Harkonnen and the successive ruler of the planet Arrakis. Austin Butler looks to be determined to bring the character to life in the film adaptation as a complex villain.
Austin Butler's Complex Villain Tease Shows He's Getting Feyd-Rautha Right
In an interview with Backstage, Butler stated that he would be playing Feyd-Rautha as "the hero of his story," as Butler believes that Feyd is the hero in his own eyes. Rather than simply portraying Feyd as an evil villain for Paul to overcome in Dune: Part Two, Butler shows that he understands the complex nature of the character in Frank Herbert's original 1965 novel. As Butler states in the interview:
[T]he bad guy [...] doesn’t feel like he’s the bad guy. He feels like he’s the hero of his own story. And that can be a hard thing with certain characters; with others, it’s easier, but you have to not judge the character, and you have to find a way to feel the motivation towards anyone of your actions. So, we had a lot of conversations and crafted that together.
Why Feyd-Rautha Is So Important For Dune 2
Feyd-Rautha is a key character in the bigger Dune: Part Two movie, due to his rivalry with protagonist Paul Atreides. Feyd is not just an antagonist for Paul to fight, but he is, more importantly, the mirror image of Paul. They are both heirs to the planet of Arrakis, though through different houses. Both are a product of the centuries-long genetic manipulation by the mysterious Bene Gesserit to produce the Kwisatz Haderach. The two characters only differ in personality. Although Feyd sees himself as the hero, he is, in fact, every bit as cruel and lustful for power as his uncle.
Feyd-Rautha is important to Dune: Part Two because he is Paul's dark reflection. He represents everything Paul could become, should he succumb to his own darkest impulses following the almost near-destruction of his family by the Harkonnens in Dune. Herbert's original novel explores heroes and villains in a universe where morality is anything but black and white, and Austin Butler's complex interpretation of Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two so far seems to capture this perfectly.
