When interviewed, Villeneuve explained that he has big plans for working with Pugh in the future for the “Dune Messiah” film, and that helped get her to sign on for a more limited role in “Dune: Part Two”:

“When I approached Zendaya for ‘Part One,’ I said, ‘I’m going to introduce your character, and if it is a second movie, then you will be one of the main protagonists.’ And she agreed. I made the same deal with Florence. Her character is introduced in ‘Part Two,’ but then if there is an adaptation of ‘Dune Messiah,’ of course Princess Irulan is one of the main characters in that story.”

While Irulan is already a central protagonist in “Dune Messiah,” it’s likely that Villeneuve will expand her role like he did Chani’s in “Dune: Part Two,” making her just as important as Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the “hero” of the first two films. Instead of relegating the female characters to the sidelines as Herbert did, Villeneuve seems intent on giving them agency and a lot more to do. In fact, he’s basically setting up the “Dune Messiah” film to be a battle for the ages between Chani and Princess Irulan, putting the fate of humanity in the hands of two powerful women.