Like all media, Dune: Part Two isn’t immune to criticisms, despite being deemed one of the greatest sequels ever, which is justified following its brilliance in almost every aspect. But while almost every actor excels in the space opera, thus succeeding in maintaining the immersion that we really are on an alien planet, fans couldn’t get behind Christopher Walken’s performance in the film.
While everyone loves Walken, who has been pigeonholed into weird roles throughout his decades-long career, many weren’t fans of his work as the Emperor in Dune 2, stressing he was miscast.
Christopher Walken Being Himself in Dune: Part Two Didn’t Sit Well With Fans
Unlike the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, or Dave Bautista, who completely disappeared into their onscreen counterpart, fans complained that Walken was just being himself in the film. This issue was also noted by Mr Sunday Movies in The Weekly Planet podcast, stating:
“The Christopher Walken casting just to me felt odd because he is the emperor of the universe. But he’s just Christopher Walken and he’s got his big Rick and Morty hair that he has and whatever… He’s not even bad in this, I just think he may be miscast… He is bound by who he is.”
Taking to X, fans too shared a similar sentiment, which is reasonable, as seeing Walken being himself took them out of the immersion of witnessing a political drama on an alien planet. Some also joked about Walken’s frequent appearances on SNL while sharing their disappointment with how the Padishah Emperor of the Known universe was presented onscreen.
Dune 2 is full of some really great performances, and then you have Christopher Walken going through each scene with all the commitment of an SNL guest star
— brandon.wad (@Thatoneguy64) March 16, 2024
This was indeed an odd casting choice
— Henry Biddlecombe (@Henryonstocks) March 17, 2024
Yeah. Misfire. 🙂
— Gregory (@gregzilla901) March 17, 2024
He really was out of place
— TheLoneGam3r (@lone_gam3r) March 17, 2024
Ya, that casting was bad
— gravis (@gravis821) March 17, 2024
I haven’t seen it yet but when you cast Walken, you get Walken. He’s got one speed. I love it but that’s what you’re paying for.
— WDHPDX (@wdhpdx) March 17, 2024
But considering he is meant to be a nothing character, who doesn’t show up in the future storylines, having Walken lack the gravitas of an Emperor does sit right with what the books were going for.
Christopher Walken Once Auditioned to Lead Star Wars
Long before being brought in to star as the Emperor, Christopher Walken revealed he once auditioned for Han Solo in Star Wars, which took heavy inspiration from Frank Herbert’s works. The Pulp Fiction Star recalled auditioning for the part alongside Jodie Foster, who was originally offered to star as Princess Leia, which she turned down following her existing contract with a Disney film.
He recalled (via Variety):
“I think it was for Han Solo. Yes, I auditioned for it. And if I’m not mistaken, my partner in the audition was — I think this is true — it was Jodie Foster … I think we did a screen test. I’m not sure we did a scene. Maybe we just sat in front of, in those days, those old videotape cameras … I did audition for ‘Star Wars,’ but so did about 500 other actors. It was lots of people doing that.”
While fans are left conflicted over his performance as Emperor Shaddam IV in Dune 2, it doesn’t take away much from the film, as it still remains a worthy adaptation of Herbert’s work.
Dune: Part Two is currently running in theatres.
