Pegg Denies Cumberbatch Role Rumors

[TrekToday]

While praising the work of Benedict Cumberbatch, cast as a villain in Star Trek 2, Simon Pegg denies recent rumors about Cumberbatch’s role in the movie. Details of that rumor and possible spoilers will be behind the cut. Rumors had it that Cumberbatch had been cast as a rebooted Khan. “It’s not Khan,” said Pegg. [...]

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[shapeshifter]

Excellent news, if true. I soooo want to believe they came up with something fresher than Khan.

But wouldn't Pegg saying who Cumberbatch's character isn't be just as much a violation of the non-disclosure contract as saying who he is playing?

I saw an interview with Alice Eve, (about MIB3) and ST2 came up, she wouldn't say a word about it, absolutely nothing, citing the non-disclosure 'tract.

 

[bbailey861]

I read this and agree..."Oh f— off! Wait for the film!"....but then I read this again and hope what he is saying is true.

 

[Psion]

YES!

Now we can put this 'Khan is the Joker to Kirk's Batman' nonsense to rest.

 

[M'Sharak]

...

But wouldn't Pegg saying who Cumberbatch's character isn't be just as much a violation of the non-disclosure contract as saying who he is playing?

I saw an interview with Alice Eve, (about MIB3) and ST2 came up, she wouldn't say a word about it, absolutely nothing, citing the non-disclosure 'tract.

Judging by the way the way things were done for the last movie, Abrams and Bad Robot like to keep the publicity pretty carefully orchestrated. What detail gets out, when it gets out and who gets to talk about it are all done according to a schedule. If it's not time yet, or if the question is not put to the right person, then nothing is going to be said, and I don't doubt that's spelled out to some degree in the NDA each of them signs. If Pegg says that Cumberbatch isn't playing Khan, I think it can be assumed that his saying so is in the publicity script and right on time.

 

[monkeyd]

...

But wouldn't Pegg saying who Cumberbatch's character isn't be just as much a violation of the non-disclosure contract as saying who he is playing?

I saw an interview with Alice Eve, (about MIB3) and ST2 came up, she wouldn't say a word about it, absolutely nothing, citing the non-disclosure 'tract.

Judging by the way the way things were done for the last movie, Abrams and Bad Robot like to keep the publicity pretty carefully orchestrated. What detail gets out, when it gets out and who gets to talk about it are all done according to a schedule. If it's not time yet, or if the question is not put to the right person, then nothing is going to be said, and I don't doubt that's spelled out to some degree in the NDA each of them signs. If Pegg says that Cumberbatch isn't playing Khan, I think it can be assumed that his saying so is in the publicity script and right on time.

I kind of hope it was scripted because otherwise I was feeling bad for Pegg for going off script (he did "squirm" but then continued...). Everyone else, included the Batch on Sunday just says absolutely nothing either way, even though it would have been easy for any of them to deny.

Glad this thread got started! I posted about it 6 hours ago at the end of another thread and nobody saw for ages...

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I hope Pegg is right. But I wouldn't be surprised if the rumors contain a grain of truth, that there's something about his role that is reminiscent of Khan's storyline, and the rumors just got mangled.

Perhaps he's human scientist from the time of the Eugenics Wars who is unfrozen by Klingons (could also be time travel) to augment Klingons to make them even more of a superior race than they already are? Or, a human-looking Klingon scientist?

Cumberbund looks right for a "mad scientist" type and that would explain why Abrams was auditioning Latino actors but a pasty white guy would do just as well. Klingons have never been limited to just a certain ethnic type, but if you want to balance out a mainly white cast with a non-white actor playing a villain, the Klingons give you that opportunity.

I wouldn't be surprised if this ALL was part of an orchestrated PR campaign. It's a long time between movies and that makes it hard to keep Star Trek in the public eye. So release a rumor that is guaranteed to get the fans riled up, but is false all along, so that when the ugly rumor turns out to be false, they're mollified and maybe even happier with whatever turns out to be the truth?

 

[Saul]

Pegg is playing with us. He knows the internet, saying it's not will create more surprise when it actually IS.
This was the guy who played jokes on his twitter followers about sounds coming from his attic and then telling them he was going to check it out and disappearing for 3 days.

 

[monkeyd]

Pegg is playing with us. He knows the internet, saying it's not will create more surprise when it actually IS.
This was the guy who played jokes on his twitter followers about sounds coming from his attic and then telling them he was going to check it out and disappearing for 3 days.

But that's just playing with twitter followers about something silly. Flat out lying in an interview to dispel a rumor is pretty different, and as much as he doesn't give a f__ what people think, he might not want everyone to brand him a total liar when the movie comes out. I believe him.

 

[chardman]

I'm betting that a non-Cumberbatch Khan will still appear in the film, but only for just a few seconds; little more than an Easter egg happening in the background of a Kirk-centric scene, and played mainly for laughs. The tiny background scene will imply that Khan has been found and rendered harmless thanks to Spock Prime's foreknowledge of him. The scene may well culminate with him doing something that intrudes on the foreground scene, thus compelling Kirk to bellow his name in full Shatnerian mode.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

The Khan rumors sound believable (the sites reporting it like trekmovie.com are pretty reliable) but perhaps they're garbled and it's possible that Cumberbatch is playing a Eugenics Wars era Superman and not Khan.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I hope Pegg's right about this. I have no idea who this Cumberbatch fellow is (I've never seen anything with him in it), but he does not look like Khan at all. There's got to be dozens of actors who look more authentically Montalbanian than this guy.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I hope Pegg is telling the truth. I've come round to the idea of Khan in the movie but it will be nice to wipe the 'I told you so but I won't tell you how I know', know-it-all smirk off a couple of posters on this board.

 

[F. King Daniel]

While I think Cumberbatch could be an excellent (although very different version of) Khan. I've kept an open mind about it. But if he isn't, he isn't.

Perhaps Khan will be in the movie. IIRC, a mentor character for Cumberbatch's character was once mentioned or rumoured. Maybe that'll be Khan, waiting in the wings for the next movie, like Moriaty in the first of the new Sherlock Holmes movies.

 

[Green Shirt]

The tiny background scene will imply that Khan has been found and rendered harmless thanks to Spock Prime's foreknowledge of him.

Khan may already be rendered somewhat harmless if NuKirk has never met Carol Marcus.

 

[Gojira]

I was open minded about Cumberbatch being Khan and thought he could pull it off. However, I must admit I am feeling a slight bit of relief that it isn't true.

 

[Sindatur]

I hope Pegg is telling the truth. I've come round to the idea of Khan in the movie but it will be nice to wipe the 'I told you so but I won't tell you how I know', know-it-all smirk off a couple of posters on this board.

I think it's funny, there has been one or two posters, who treated people like idiots for believing Cumberbatch would be Khan when the rumors first started, and then treated people like idiots for not believing it when the news was pointing at it being confirmed. I imagine now that it's confirmed he's not gonna be Khan, those posters will likely go back to treating folks like idiots if they believe he is Khan now

Honestly, with all this back and forth "Confirmations", it really could still go either way

 

[Saul]

It's strange how Pegg can deny it but when Cumberbatch is asked he can't.....
They also denied Cumberbatch was the Villain.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

...Honestly, with all this back and forth "Confirmations", it really could still go either way

And I think I'm OK no matter which way it goes, as long as the movie is enjoyable.

Having said that, I think the pressure on Abrams and Co. to produce a higher-quality product would be greater if Khan was the main villain than if he wasn't. It's almost like the movie audience would feel "if Abrams is going to use Khan as the main antagonist, "good" is not good enough -- the film needs to be spectacular".

I admit I feel that way a little. Maybe I shouldn't, but I do.

 

[Sindatur]

...Honestly, with all this back and forth "Confirmations", it really could still go either way

And I think I'm OK no matter which way it goes, as long as the movie is enjoyable.

Having said that, I think the pressure on Abrams and Co. to produce a higher-quality product would be greater if Khan was the main villain than if he wasn't. It's almost like the movie audience would feel "if Abrams is going to use Khan as the main antagonist, "good" is not good enough -- the film needs to be spectacular".

I admit I feel that way a little. Maybe I shouldn't, but I do.

Yea, I'm good either way, I have no problem if they decide to use Khan, because I seriously doubt the plotline will be anything like Space Seed (And obviously nothing like Wrath of Khan, since Space Seed hasn't happened to leave Khan in a position to want revenge on Kirk)