Back in early November, Star Trek fans started going nuts when it was reported that J.J. Abrams was keen on casting Benicio Del Toro as the central villain in his upcoming sequel to the 2009 sci-fi blockbuster hit. There was a problem, however: the report didn't say what character the Oscar winner would play. The internet became an endless stream of speculation, with Trekies speculating everything from Klingons to Tribbles (yes, I did actually read a comment that suggested Tribbles). Now it seems that Latino Review has gotten word as to who Del Toro might be playing.
According to an unnamed inside source over at the site, Benicio Del Toro will play Khan Noonien Singh in the next Star Trek movie. The site does say that we can expect "rebuttals and denials" but it's unclear if they are referring to Paramount trying to keep a lid on the secret or lack of confidence in the source. Khan, of course, was the central villain in the last Star Trek film with the number two in it: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Played by Ricardo Montalban, Khan is a genetically-engineered superhuman that most famously left Captain Kirk stranded on Ceti Alpha V, where the villain was exiled by Kirk years earlier. The character's first appearance, however, was in the first season of the original series in an episode titled "Space Seed."
I have my doubts about the authenticity of this story (who wouldn't?) and I really hope it's not true, but I can totally see this happening. In a film industry filled to the brim with sequels, remakes and TV adaptations, it has been throughly proven that Hollywood is completely obsessed with name recognition and there isn't a single Star Trek villain who is better known than Khan. But let me throw the question to you:
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The Star Trek sequel will be based on a script by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof. Production is scheduled to begin early next year and the movie will be released on May 17, 2013.
