credit: Dune
Most of the characters in the new Dune movie have been adequately to masterfully cast, according to a lot of fans, but there have been a few missteps, and it would appear that there’s been another one in the casting of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, who is essentially the pretty face that the Harkonnen’s attempt to push as the ruler of Arrakis and its savior. Over the years, there have been a couple of men that have taken the role, and for the most part, they’ve done their job in turning Feyd into a rather despicable character since the truth is that Feyd is someone that’s been taught how to manipulate people for much of his life, and who is a skilled fighter and has little to no patience for anything that doesn’t interest him. In a way, Feyd is the most devious killer among the Harkonnens, and it’s likely that he would kill pretty much anyone to get what he wanted since it’s already been seen that he’s willing to disregard anyone if he gets his way. But one thing that Feyd has always appeared as thanks to the men who have played him is deadly and devious, two things that Austin Butler doesn’t really exemplify with his look or his demeanor.
credit: Dune
The two men that have portrayed Feyd-Rautha have appeared as individuals who look as though they might possess questionable morals.
Sting and Matt Keeslar have both taken on the role of Feyd in the two presentations of Dune that have come before the current movie, and both of them have something that Austin doesn’t. Fans might not like to hear it, but both men look as though they can be utterly devious and devoid of anything resembling a conscious. As far as being in shape goes, both men accomplished this since, well, it’s not exactly something that is going to be compromised when a character like Feyd is cast since the physical fitness demanded by the role is something that most actors would see fit to reach if they really want it. Austin is easily able to attain this type of appearance and like many actors before him, it’s very easy to think that his training regimen will be strict enough and impressive to the point of turning him into someone that can present the movements and efficiency of a trained killer while on camera.
Austin looks like the kind of guy that might try to break bad, but wouldn’t be able to make his way past desperate and confused.
In every role he’s ever had, Austin has a look that suggests that he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body but could possibly hurt someone if he gets confused and just angry enough to lose control. But what he doesn’t have is the devious and power-hungry look that suggests that he can play the part of a bad guy without any issue. Feyd is the type of character that stands out as someone that could kill another person and not feel even a little bit bothered by it. In other words, this character is a sociopath in a big way, and Austin has yet to show that he can take on that kind of role and make it work. To be fair, he doesn’t have a huge filmography compared to some of his costars in this movie, but if he can nail this character, he’ll surprise a lot of people.
credit: Elvis
Austin is a decent actor, but this doesn’t feel like the right role for him.
He’s portrayed heroic and villainous characters in the past and has done fairly well when he’s given something that he can accomplish. But considering how many fans of Dune are adamant about getting the right person for each role, it feels that placing him in this part might be met with a healthy amount of criticism. The only way it won’t be met with that kind of response is if people tend to think that he’s perfect since he’s Austin Butler, a guy that many people tend to love and another actor who many are willing to forgive when he makes mistakes regarding a role.
Even in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Austin came off as more of a pathetic character than a bad guy.
Being cast as a part of the Manson family didn’t even make Austin look or sound dangerous, as he came off more like a young man that was trying to look and sound tough and failed miserably at both. It could be that he’ll shock a lot of naysayers when it comes to this part, but at the moment, it feels that he’s not the right guy for the role since he comes off as too nice and incapable of being the type of individual that Feyd-Rautha has been depicted as in the past.