Zendaya’s Chani Gets a Dusty, Battle-Ready New Look in ‘Dune: Part Three’
Chani has always been the soul of Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune‘ saga. In the first film, she’s mostly a figure in Paul’s visions, a Fremen girl he’s destined to find. By ‘Dune: Part Two’, she had become a fully realized warrior and the conscience of the story.
That growth set up a painful turn. At the end of ‘Dune: Part Two’, Paul launched a holy war and agreed to marry Princess Irulan for political power, to the horror of Chani. She walked away from him, disgusted and betrayed, and that wound sits at the center of the final chapter.
Now Zendaya’s Chani has a striking new look. Empire has revealed an exclusive image of Zendaya in ‘Dune: Part Three’, showing her crouched low in the desert sand. She wears a dust-streaked stillsuit, with her hair pulled back and her gaze fixed warily on something off-camera. It’s a very different mood from the dreamy visions of the earlier films.
New look at Zendaya in ‘DUNE: PART 3’. (Source: https://t.co/XZ32fNBZDs) https://t.co/EhwMhtgyo9
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 15, 2026
The shot tells a story on its own. Chani is on the move, with her weight balanced on one knee and sand clinging to every piece of her gear. It’s the posture of someone ready for conflict, which matches the trailer’s depiction of her preparing for battle.
It also fits the cover of Empire’s December issue. The first cover variant features Chani on the warpath, with Paul looming large behind her. Inside, the magazine speaks with Zendaya about the personal betrayal Chani is wrestling with, in a world-exclusive cover story on sale October 22.
The film is set 17 years after ‘Part Two’, with Paul ruling as Emperor and married to Irulan. The trailer shows Chani furious, and an early scene shows her pregnant before she leaves him. Villeneuve has described the story as being about Paul and Chani, a relationship strained by outside pressure.
Chalamet has called Chani’s betrayal at the end of the second film a pivotal moment. Villeneuve has also shifted more of the spotlight onto her. He told Empire the film shares the same DNA as the others, but that it’s “a very different movie” with a different pacing.
“Forgive me for all I’ve done.” Experience the epic conclusion. Dune: Part Three only in theaters and IMAX December 18. #DuneMovie #FilmedforIMAX https://t.co/x9Nftg9yXd
— DUNE (@dunemovie) July 8, 2026
Zendaya’s connection to this world runs deep. She has said these movies let her grow up through her 20s, and she has expressed how grateful she is to be part of them. She has also said she loves working with Florence Pugh, hoping for more scenes together after sharing only one distant scene in the previous film.
The shoots have been demanding. The production returned to Abu Dhabi, where the Liwa desert once again stood in for Arrakis. An entire village was reportedly built in the desert, with more than 1,000 people working on the film.
The stillsuit itself has been a challenge. Zendaya has previously said changing out of the suit took at least 10 minutes, and that she wished it came with a cooling system. It’s a reminder that the glamor of the image comes at a price.
The image caps off a massive year. Zendaya appeared in Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Odyssey’, which has exceeded $1.7 billion worldwide, and reprised MJ in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, which has grossed over $2.5 billion. She also starred in A24’s ‘The Drama’, and she’s now set to star in Alex Garland’s next sci-fi film.
‘Dune: Part Three’ arrives on December 18 from Warner Bros. and Legendary, and adapts Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune Messiah’. With Chalamet, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh and Jason Momoa all part of the ensemble, the film promises a darker, more emotional end to the saga. Zendaya’s Chani looks ready to steal it.
What do you think of Zendaya's new look as Chani?
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