Dune 2 Cut A Huge Marvel Actor - Here's Who He Probably Played

While "Dune: Part 2" blew away everybody at the box office during its opening weekend, not every actor who was lucky enough to land a role in the film managed to step into its ever-expanding spotlight. Tim Blake Nelson, who is set to appear as The Leader in the Marvel Cinematic Universe venture "Captain America: Brave New World," told Anthem that he had a part in the film, but his scenes were excised from the final theatrical cut, leaving him without a single clip to show for his effort. 

It's not been confirmed who he was supposed to play in the film, but Anthem asked Nelson if his role was that of Count Fenring. His response to the question is somewhat evasive but it seems to indicate the character was his. "I don't know what I'm allowed to say," he said, laughing. "I'll just say that I was proud of what I did, and I'm sad not to be in the film. It was completely amicable. Denis [Villeneuve] is a great guy and we had a wonderful conversation. He was very gracious in the way that he let me know. We're both eager to do something else together." 

It appears that the film's focus shifted when Villeneuve decided to shed more light on the Bene Gesserit. Audiences will never know which part Nelson played unless the movie hits digital with any deleted scenes sewn back in. Unfortunately, that's something that apparently may never happen, as the director has said he will not release those outtakes. In any event, Nelson seems ready to let bygones be bygones.

Tim Blake Nelson definitely isn't bitter about Denis Villeneuve's choice to remove his character from "Dune: Part Two." "I was in a scene and the scene's no longer in the movie," he told Anthem. "I had a really cool cameo. It was a fun little part. But as it happens, movies are too long and they have to remove some stuff. I was unfortunately on the short end of that.[..] I don't think I'm at liberty to say what the scene was. I'd leave that to Denis [Villeneuve] if he wants to talk about it. I had a great time over there shooting it. And then he had to cut it because he thought the movie was too long. And I am heartbroken over that, but there's no hard feelings. I loved it, and I can't wait to do something else with him and we certainly plan to do that."

While it's possible that Nelson will never again surface within the world of "Dune," there's also some hope there's a larger role ahead for him and for Count Fenring. After all, his wife, Bene Gesserit agent Lady Margot Fenring (Léa Seydoux), appears in the film. Count Fenring is a more prominent part of the latter part of the book series as he's a sidekick and close ally to Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken). Eventually, he goes into battle at the ruler's side. 

Since Nelson appears willing and able to act in another of Villeneuve's films, it truly seems like it's all water under the bridge — and it's quite possible that the character can enter the picture, either way. But there may be another actor whose work was excised from "Dune: Part Two."

It looks like Tim Blake Nelson isn't the only person whose screen time in "Dune: Part Two" was truncated. Stephen McKinley Henderson was also removed from the movie. His character, Thufir Hawat, appears in the 2021 take on "Dune" and was slated to pop up in the second film. However, Denis Villeneuve told Entertainment Weekly that Henderson's scenes were excised — this was one of the hardest decisions he had to make while assembling the film's final cut.

"One of the most painful choices for me on this one was Thufir Hawat," Villeneuve said. "He's a character I absolutely love, but I decided right at the beginning that I was making a Bene Gesserit adaptation. That meant that Mentats are not as present as they should be, but it's the nature of the adaptation."

"Dune: Part Two" is more action-heavy, and that's another reason the characters' parts may have been cut down. That makes it different from any other adaptation of the material. Since the film already sports an official runtime that breaks a Denis Villeneuve record, it's understandable that something had to give. While it's definitely difficult to lose some beloved characters along the way, it's hard to argue with the movie's success. Hopefully, the actors whose scenes were removed will resurface in future installments of the franchise.