Just a little while ago a report came out saying that Benicio Del Toro will play Khan Noonien Singh in the J.J. Abrams-directed sequel to 2009's Star Trek reboot. When reporting the story, I noted that in the original article it said that we could expect "rebuttals and denials" of the scoop. Well, we didn't have to wait long.
Upon hearing the rumor, HitFix was able to contact Abrams directly and he gave them a two word response: "Not true." As I noted in the original story, however, it's entirely possible that they are just denying the rumor until they are ready to announce it officially (though a two word response does seem rather definitive). The most recent news followed a report that said Abrams is interested in Benicio Del Toro to play the Star Trek sequel's villain, but as of yet there hasn't been an official announcement or even news that he has entered negotiations. It was also reported recently that the filmmaker is interested in adding Alice Eve to the cast, though she is potentially up for a role that has never before existed in the Star Trek universe. The script for the film, written by Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, has been completed and they are currently aiming to start production in early 2012. Look for the untitled Star Trek sequel to hit theaters on May 17, 2013.
I know some of you have voiced support for "Benicio as Khan," but it's really for the best if it's not true. By doing a reboot on an alternate timeline, the creators of the new Star Trek opened up an endless number of possibilities. If they had chosen to do Khan again it would simply be a remake of Wrath of Khan and what's the point of that?
