Dune Part Three Trailer Shows Paul Atreides' Full Descent Into Tyranny

The Dune Part Three trailer follows an earlier teaser that had people losing their minds without giving away much plot beyond the fact that Paul Atreides is now fully in dictator mode. Watching the new footage, my verdict is simple: it looks phenomenal, and it confirms just how far Paul has fallen.

Someone tells Paul, "You promised me that you would never take power in your name," and later, "You convinced me that this was your home. That I was your home," before accusing him: "You have conquered the galaxy." Another line lands even harder: "You're way beyond redemption." That progression from the hero of the first two movies into someone accused of conquering the galaxy is what stood out most to me.

I compared the arc to Anakin Skywalker's turn to the dark side, while acknowledging upfront that Paul Atreides came before Anakin in terms of the source material. Still, the way the story builds you up to root for Paul across the first two films and then reveals him as "full on Vader," maybe even Vader combined with the Emperor, is what makes the turn hit. The line that sold it for me was when someone tells him, "Regime change," and he responds, "You've just signed our death warrants." That alone, to me, shows the kind of power and fear he now rules with.

There is a peace proposal plot thread in the trailer too, with someone saying they plan "to strike at the core of Imperial power" and openly intending to kill Paul, which raises the question of how his followers actually see him now. I also noticed Jason Momoa's Duncan Idaho appears again, and I am left wondering whether it is a clone or a twin brother, since I do not know how the story explains his return. I did not catch much of Rebecca Ferguson in the trailer, and said if she was there it must have been brief.

Denis Villeneuve is back directing, and I liked that the chant from the first teaser returns here in service of the story rather than just the imagery this time. The trailer also ends on a shot of Paul as an old man, which made me wonder if that is a vision or a sign of how far his story goes. Because of that, I said I want to avoid any further trailers so nothing else gets spoiled before the movie.

Do you think Paul Atreides is now fully the villain of his own story, or is there still a way back for him?