MCU Star Reveals How Being Cut From Dune 2 Left Him “Heartbroken”

Tim Blake Nelson will make a big and unexpected return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe next year in Captain America: Brave New World, in which he reprises his role as The Leader, last seen in The Incredible Hulk back in 2008. However, while discussing his new film, Asleep in My Palm, he told MovieWeb that he almost featured in this weekend’s big release of Dune: Part Two, but his role ended up being cut.

Denis Villenueve’s sequel to 2021’s Dune is another sprawling epic of stunning visuals and a tightly crafted adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel. That has come across clearly in the movie’s reviews and its opening box office numbers, which have easily surpassed its pandemic-released predecessor. However, it seems that the film could have potentially been even longer, but in trimming the runtime down to a mere 167 minutes, Nelson’s character ended up on the cutting room floor.

Although the actor did not specifically describe the scene he would have featured in, he told us that its removal left him “heartbroken.” He said:

“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.”

Tim Blake Nelson Has Several Other Projects Coming Soon

Although seeing his role in Dune: Part Two being cut has been disappointing for Nelson, the actor is currently on the press tour for a movie that could not be much different from the otherworldly fantasy of the Dune saga, Asleep in My Palm.

The movie, which is written and directed by Nelson’s son, Henry Nelson, “explores the nature of parenthood and class as a father and daughter live off the grid in rural Ohio where they must confront the challenges of her sexual awakening as he escapes a violent and conflicted past.” The film is already gaining favorable reviews from critics, who have likened the tale to “a powerful fable” that plays out like a “contemporary take on John Steinbeck.”

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Asleep in My Palm Review: Tim Blake Nelson Delivers a Powerful Turn in This Worthy Off-Grid Drama

Written and directed by the actor’s son, Henry Nelson, Asleep in My Palms is one of the best indie films to hit the screen this year.

Among several other movies on Nelson’s upcoming schedule, the biggest is by far his return as Samuel Sterns aka The Leader, in next year’s Captain America: Brave New World. Although there is still little known about what role The Leader will play in the movie, Nelson has recently promised that fans will get to see a much more comic accurate version of the Marvel villain than in his previous appearance. This continues to rectify many of the complaints made in relation to character portrayals seen in The Incredible Hulk. Previously, The Abomination, played by Tim Roth, also reappeared in the franchise with a new design in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law. Any changes made to the character to make him more in line with his comic book counterpart will certainly go down well with fans.