15 Sci-fi Movie Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spin-Off

4. Duncan Idaho - Dune (2021)

Dune was supposedly the unadaptable book series. That was, until Denis Villeneuve came along with $165 million and a cast of contemporary greats, including Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgard, Javier Bardem, Timothee Chalamet, and Rebecca Ferguson. Adapting swathes of author Frank Herbert’s material into a tight two and a half hours (and, believe us, this is tight), Villeneuve gave us Dune, the space epic about House Atreides’ fall from power.

The weight of the film is on Chalamet’s back, as Paul, son of Duke Leto (Isaac), who must wrangle his mystical lineage and doomed inheritance on the desert planet Arrakis following the assassination of his father. But it is Chalamet’s supporting cast that keeps him afloat, including a surprising standout performance from Jason Momoa as Swordmaster Duncan Idaho, who is a diehard loyalist to House Atreides, trains Paul in combat, and creates the connection with Arrakis’ native Fremen necessary to (eventually) turn things back in Paul’s favour.

Alas, Duncan is mercilessly killed off in the movie’s final act. Facing down the corrupt emperor’s Sardaukar soldiers single-handedly, Duncan sacrifices himself, holding them off long enough for Paul and his mother Jessica (Ferguson) escape. This is part of what makes his character so good, and while if true to the books, we can expect Duncan to return in some form in the third Dune film, we would like very much to enjoy the character in a standalone entry.