Maybe the Villian Was Originally Khan?

Discussion in 'Star Trek Movies: Kelvin Universe' started by Franklin, Jan 10, 2013.

  1. Franklin

    Franklin Vice Admiral Admiral

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    In the Bryan Burk interview covered on trekmovie.com (link, below), Burk says, "[Cumberbatch] kind of made Harrison his own. Particularly when we cast him -- the writers went back and specifically tailored it for Benedict."

    So, maybe the character wasn't Harrison to begin with. Maybe it was Khan.

    As has been pointed out many times, four actors said to be considered for the villain before Cumberbatch, Benicio del Toro, Edgar Ramirez, Jordi Rolla, and Demian Bichir were at least reminiscent of Montalban's Khan. Three were also the right age for a thawed Khan (mid-forties).

    It's been said Cumberbatch was auditioned as more or less an inspiration, and he knocked their socks off. At the same time, they realized he probably couldn't be Khan with any sense of believability (that's been debated here, but I've always wondered why the net was originally cast so small ethnically, as if looks did matter for the part, then it turns out they end up with the least Khan-looking actor of the lot).

    So as Burk says, they tailored the character to Cumberbatch, (speculation begins here ==>) and made him, "John Harrison." They gave him his own backstory that gave him basically the same motives and goals as what had been written for Khan (can't change too much). It could be that Khan’s presence looms in this movie thematically even if the character doesn't appear.

    Here's the link to the story about the interview:

    http://trekmovie.com/2013/01/08/bur...mberbatch-film-fits-with-roddenberrys-vision/
     
  2. SonicRanger

    SonicRanger Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I also think that this is a likely possibility, and it explains the change in casting preference and some of the additional time it took during preproduction.
     
  3. Enterprise is Great

    Enterprise is Great Vice Admiral Admiral

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    From Lindelof's interview it sounds like they just changed the dialog for Cumberbatch's character.

    http://collider.com/damon-lindelof-star-trek-2-into-darkness-interview/220137/2/

    And the character was always John Harrison even before Cumberbatch was cast. Of course Harrison may not be his true name but a pseudonym for another well known character. :) I don't think the Bad Robot guys care about getting the ethnicity all that right if JH is really Khan. They're more into the best actor for the role kind of thing. The could drop in a line about his appearance being altered to hide his true ID.
     
  4. Franklin

    Franklin Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The only problem I had (and I don't want to reopen the ethnicity discussion, here) was at first, it did seem ethnicity mattered (the first four reported choices deep), then along comes Cumberbatch.

    But what you say makes sense. There could've been a "the hell with it, he's great, and he's our Khan," attitude, and the lines may have only been rewritten to better fit the actor, not change the character.

    Maybe it's also just coincidence that John Harrison is such a properly English name. I mean, you don't have to be English to have the surname, after all. :)
     
  5. Sindatur

    Sindatur The Gray Owl Wizard Admiral

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    I know Benecio Del Toro is fact, but, do we actually know the rest of the names floated were in fact considered, or might they have been the rumor mill scratching around digging up and throwing out names of actors who could fit Khan, since the rumor mill was so convinced Khan was the villian?
     
  6. Enterprise is Great

    Enterprise is Great Vice Admiral Admiral

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    IIRC the other actors were all just rumors.
     
  7. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    I would have been more inclined to believe it was Khan if the names floating around weren't Hispanic or Spanish actors.
     
  8. YARN

    YARN Fleet Captain

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    Names like "Ricardo" and "Montalban"?
     
  9. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Well the character's name is Khan Noonien Singh. So why would he have to be played by a Hispanic or Spanish actor? Would they only look for Jewish actors to play Kirk or Spock?
     
  10. CommanderRaytas

    CommanderRaytas DISCO QUEEEEEEN Rear Admiral

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    You know, I've complained so many times about how much I dislike the Khan character, and how I would hate him to be the villain...now, I don't care. Whoever Cumberbatch's villain turns out to be, he's going to be awesome, because Cumberbatch rules.

    Also, they did not make him speak with an American accent. That makes me happy. :D
     
  11. Jackson_Roykirk

    Jackson_Roykirk Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yes. I would rather hear Cumberbatch's normal British accent -- but I think his character is going to be French. ;)
     
  12. Robert Maxwell

    Robert Maxwell memelord Premium Member

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    I thought the villain was originally Gary Mitchell.
     
  13. lurok

    lurok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    :lol: Yes, we haven't heard that name now for a while.
     
  14. gastrof

    gastrof Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Am I wrong, or did they say from the start that the villain was going to be a known one from existing Trek lore?

    If that's the case, I don't know of any Trek villain named "Harrison".

    Do any of you?

    This means either:

    1) my memory is playing tricks,
    2) they've changed their intention, or
    3) Harrison actually IS someone else, whose name will become known before the end of the film.

    (If not, and they wait for a later film to reveal who he really is, that's sort of strange since it will leave the "return" of a villain from TOS up in the air...it'll be hollow if we still don't know who he is.)
     
  15. M'Sharak

    M'Sharak Definitely Herbert. Maybe. Moderator

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    Not from the moment the casting was announced, but it's from July 2012, so it ought to suffice:


    There you go - all ready to be printed out and stapled to something near at hand. (You'll note, however, that the words are "new character you created or one from the original Star Trek canon" - not "canon villain".)
     
  16. INACTIVEUSS Einstein

    INACTIVEUSS Einstein Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Looks like no joy on that info.
     
  17. 137th Gebirg

    137th Gebirg Admiral Premium Member

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    Ugh...well, if the movie doesn't pan out, and based on his proclivities for deception, obfuscation and secrecy, he could always get a job in the intelligence community.
     
  18. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    He already did. That's what Alias was based on. ;)
     
  19. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Wrong.

    Orci's dodging the question which is raised by Cumberbatch's character's name, the name itself being misdirection. :cool:
     
  20. Enterprise is Great

    Enterprise is Great Vice Admiral Admiral

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    He's Khaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!