A Board Game Might Have Revealed a Cut Scene from Dune Part 2

Highlights

Thufir Hawat’s fate in Dune Part 2 may have been revealed in a board game, showing his capture by the Harkonnens.
The absence of Thufir from the sequel was a deviation from the source material, impacting his critical role in the story.
Deleted scenes of Thufir in Dune 2 were cut to refocus the film, leaving fans to speculate on his potential storyline.

Thufir Hawat played a major role in Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 blockbuster hit Dune, but has since disappeared from the narrative. Recent revelations from a board game may offer insight into his fate.

Dune Part 2, released this year, continued the success of the franchise’s first installment. However, upon its premiere, fans were puzzled by the absence of a key character. Thufir Hawat was apparently cut from the film, leaving his story unfinished. However, there may be more to his story, as revealed not in the movie, but in a board game.

A Reddit user, u/GreatNecksby, noticed a significant detail in the board game Dune Imperium: Uprising that sheds light on Thufir’s fate after the first movie. The game features a card depicting a captured Thufir with the label “CAPTURED MENTAT,” suggesting why he was absent from the sequel. As noted by u/PG-13_Otaku, the board game’s art and design appear to align with the movie’s canon, leading fans to speculate that this is indeed what happened to Thufir.

As noted by the original poster, the card in question depicts Thufir as a prisoner of the Harkonnens. This detail is crucial, as it closely aligns with the events in the books, which serve as the primary source material for the movie. Given the film’s fidelity to the source material, Thufir should have appeared in the second part. However, the movie omitted any mention of his fate after the first installment. This card provides fans with a visual glimpse of what those missing scenes might have entailed.

Thufir Hawat’s role in Dune 2 was expected to align him with House Harkonnen, diverging from his loyalty to House Atreides in the first movie. In the book, following Duke Leto’s death and the presumed demise of Paul, Thufir begins working for Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. This shift places him in a pivotal position, aiding the Harkonnens in their pursuit of eliminating the Fremen’s new leader, Maud’Dib. Thufir’s conviction that Lady Jessica betrayed House Atreides adds layers to his character arc. However, his absence in the sequel disregards his significant role and character development, including his ultimate sacrifice, which impacts the story’s resolution.

Thufir’s absence in Dune 2 was not part of Villeneuve’s original plan, as Stephen McKinley Henderson did film scenes for the sequel. However, His role was later removed during the editing process. Villeneuve explained that the decision to cut Thufir’s scenes was to refocus the movie. Deleted scenes featuring Thufir exist but may not be released, and the card offers a glimpse into what could have been those deleted scenes.