After a lot of speculation, word has finally come down that it looks like Benedict Cumberbatch will, indeed, be playing Khan in the sequel to JJ Abrams’ Star Trek. Trek Movie has confirmed this with their sources, and consider this to longer be a rumor:
A few outlets have also reported (including today’s AICN) that this villain was Trek’s most famous bad guy – the exiled Eugenics War leader Khan Noonien Singh (originally played by Ricardo Montalban). TrekMovie has also confirmed this with a number of sources so we no longer consider it to be a rumor. Khan is back in 2013, however sources indicate that the film is not a rehash of “Space Seed,” the original Star Trek episode where Kirk and crew first encounter the genetic superman from the past.
In addition to the confirmation that Khan will be the menace the crew of the Enterprise faces in the upcoming film, Trek Movie has also confirmed that Leonard Nimoy will be back at Spock Prime, and that Klingons will play a big role.
As a Trek fan, I couldn’t be happier. These rumors have been circulating for a while now and come as not much of a surprise; Khan and the Klingons played a big role in the original Star Trek films, and I am looking forward to seeing Abrams’ take on these important aspects of Trek lore. I’m also glad to see Nimoy coming back as Spock Prime, even if it is in a minor role. While I love Kirk and so many of the other crew members from the Trek of yesterday, I’m really happy to see Spock playing a role in this alternate time line and fleshing out this character in his twilight years.
This sequel to Abrams’ Star Trek will be hitting theaters next year.