Cumberbatch: Inspiration For Harrison

[TrekToday]

For actor Benedict Cumberbatch, he didn’t have to look far to find inspiration for John Harrison. Although he looked at past terrorists, there was plenty of inspiration from modern day events, said Cumberbatch. “[Look at] real social history and present history, everything that’s going on: uprisings, people who are trying to spread democracy or fight [...]

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[Kruezerman]

Good. That means it's topical and that Star Trek is relevant again.

[ChristopherPike]

Sounds exciting. I wonder if all this secrecy surrounding his identity will go the distance? If the writers have found the perfect way to keep that hidden until the film's release?

I can't say I believe it's Khan. Not without some bizarre transporter accident or bodyswap nonsense. Benedict's too unlikely a recasting for that an it would be so inconsistent with practically everything that made the last film a success - i.e. actors who weren't much of a stretch from those who originated the characters. Zachary Quinto being brought in as Spock, more or less sprang from fans observing his likeness as not being unlike a young Leonard Nimoy. Then there's Karl Urban nailing DeForest's McCoy... so let's just say, I find it very unlikely without some unusual [insert biotech here] reasoning.

[BillJ]

ChristopherPike wrote:

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Sounds exciting. I wonder if all this secrecy surrounding his identity will go the distance? If the writers have found the perfect way to keep that hidden until the film's release?

I can't say I believe it's Khan. Not without some bizarre transporter accident or bodyswap nonsense. Benedict's too unlikely a recasting for that an it would be so inconsistent with practically everything that made the last film a success - i.e. actors who weren't much of a stretch from those who originated the characters. Zachary Quinto being brought in as Spock, more or less sprang from fans observing his likeness as not being unlike a young Leonard Nimoy. Then there's Karl Urban nailing DeForest's McCoy... so let's just say, I find it very unlikely without some unusual [insert biotech here] reasoning.

I think Cumberbatch is playing a Eugenics War survivor who joined Starfleet under an assumed identity so he had the resources to track down the Botany Bay. I think Carol Marcus and the Peter Weller character are in on it.

[Jackson_Roykirk]

BillJ wrote:

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I think Cumberbatch is playing a Eugenics War survivor who joined Starfleet under an assumed identity so he had the resources to track down the Botany Bay. I think Carol Marcus and the Peter Weller character are in on it.

Hmmm...Carol Marcus being "in on it" would certainly be an interesting twist.

However, the writers would need to convince us that Carol had a valid reason for being in on it. I think if she is going to be "Carol Marcus", she still needs to be a very principled person, no matter which of the two universes she comes from. Having said that, people are certainly apt choose unconventional sides of an issue, all for the sake of Principles.