How 'bout this?

[Grup]

Not being familiar at all with Cumberbatches work, what if....he is not the reason behind all the destruction we see? What if Wellers character appears in the film and almost immediately kills off Harrison? Harrisons appearance in the trailer is just a red herring and Weller is actually the prime antagonist throughout the film. I don't know if Benedict is a big enough star that this would ever happen or if J.J. has the skills to throw such a curve ball.

Is EBC that big of a commodity that he would not accept that kind of treatment on screen? (like Shatner and cameos)

 

[CorporalClegg]

Stardom has nothing to do with one's ability to play evil.

Who the fuck knew who JEJ was in 1976?

 

[SalvorHardin]

Yeah, I'll go with a definite no on this one.

 

[The Wormhole]

Not being familiar at all with Cumberbatches work, what if....he is not the reason behind all the destruction we see? What if Wellers character appears in the film and almost immediately kills off Harrison? Harrisons appearance in the trailer is just a red herring and Weller is actually the prime antagonist throughout the film. I don't know if Benedict is a big enough star that this would ever happen or if J.J. has the skills to throw such a curve ball.

Is EBC that big of a commodity that he would not accept that kind of treatment on screen? (like Shatner and cameos)

Cumberbatch is something of a rising star and indeed the show in which he plays the lead (and titular) character has had to wait until he's available before they film the next season. Why would they do that if his character is almost immediately killed off? Hell, he wouldn't really have to put any time in on set for that.

Plus what little is known makes it very clear he will be around for a decent portion of the movie. Would he have been on the movie's poster if he weren't the main villain?

 

[FlapJoy]

It would be interesting if Harrison wasn't the villain, but a rogue character on a misunderstood mission to do what needs to be done. A Bond style covert op, with a license to set his phaser to kill. A character who's actions go beyond whatever directives Starfleet abides by. Weller being the true baddie, in sheep's clothing, later to be revealed as the villain he is by Harrison and his one man war across the Federation. ...whatever's up, seems damn exciting!

 

[CorporalClegg]

I'd be ecstatic if Harrison was a classic foil. I would also be really, really surprised with buzzwords like "revenge" flying around.

It's sort of the one element Hollywood seems to miss these days every time it compares whatever the next villain is to Ledger-Joker.

 

[Grup]

Stardom has nothing to do with one's ability to play evil.

Who the fuck knew who JEJ was in 1976?

No disrespect intended towards BC. Just what I've seen of him in the trailer impresses me. Plus the obvious fan following he has. I was just wondering if BC wasn't the one making a 'cameo' and he actually wasn't the focus of the film and only a big misdirection by JJ just to fool with us. I also have not seen the '9 minutes' so I may just be talking out my azz.

 

[chardman]

Is EBC that big of a commodity that he would not accept that kind of treatment on screen? (like Shatner and cameos)

Who the fuck knew who JEJ was in 1976?

EBC? JEJ? WTF?

 

[Grup]

Is EBC that big of a commodity that he would not accept that kind of treatment on screen? (like Shatner and cameos)

Who the fuck knew who JEJ was in 1976?

EBC? JEJ? WTF?

LOL I meant BC not EBC. My bad.

 

[Sigokat]

It would be interesting if Harrison wasn't the villain, but a rogue character on a misunderstood mission to do what needs to be done. A Bond style covert op, with a license to set his phaser to kill. A character who's actions go beyond whatever directives Starfleet abides by. Weller being the true baddie, in sheep's clothing, later to be revealed as the villain he is by Harrison and his one man war across the Federation. ...whatever's up, seems damn exciting!

Kind of like if he works for Section 31? I could get behind something like that.

I'm just pissed I won't get to see this movie on the big screen and I'm going to have to resist getting a ripped copy here...:-(

 

[chardman]

Is EBC that big of a commodity that he would not accept that kind of treatment on screen? (like Shatner and cameos)

Who the fuck knew who JEJ was in 1976?

EBC? JEJ? WTF?

LOL I meant BC not EBC. My bad.

Ah. Thanx.

Now if only someone would reveal who the heck JEJ is.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

James Earl Jones

 

[DaveyNY]

...Who was a very well known actor... long before Star Wars came along.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Not anymore "Well known" than Cumberbatch is now. Sort of the point of the exercise.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Much more well known, actually.

I remember hearing Vader speak for the first time and saying to myself "Damn, I think that's James Earl Jones."

 

[Sector 7]

I recognized Vader's voice as The Great White Hope boxer, which was several years earlier. Cumberbatch may be a great actor (not as familiar with him as some here), but he does not have the extensive body of impressive work as James Earl Jones. I doubt he has as many acting awards, either.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Cumberbatch's career now and Jones's career in late '76/early '77 are almost identical. Jones's only advantage is the a fore mentioned The Great White Hope. Otherwise, their bodies of work, awards, etc. are pretty much the same. Their voices are their most prominent feature and the one thing most people recognize them for.

Jones was known by lots and lots of people and his voice was very recognizable, but he was not the "house-hold name" he is today. At the time he took Star Wars (or Roots rather), he was struggling to find work. If you walk up to people and said, "James Earl Jones" probably six in ten of them would say, "Who the fuck is James Earl Jones?"

Likewise, Cumberbatch is recognized by lots and lots of people, but he is not a house-hold name. But people do recognize his voice.

In any case, the OP implied one has to be a superstar to be a good villain. I was trying to use a relevant and comparative example to prove otherwise.

Perhaps I should have said Margaret Hamilton or Andrew Robinson and caused less of a fuss.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I suspect the idea is that Into Darkness is the movie that makes Cumberbatch a superstar.

Didn't go so well for Tom Hardy in Nemesis, but let's not dwell on that

 

[SalvorHardin]

Thanks to the Sherlock/internet/tumblr thing, Cumberbatch has a much larger following than Hardy did back then. He's already kind of a star, even if not a big movie star yet.

 

[Nero's Shadow]

Well we've all got ideas and but lets see the evidence I've read articles on Star Trek into darkness trying to stay away from spoilers but here goes,

1. Wellers character has not yet been Revealed ??? Why I've read that he's playing carol Marcus Father so is he bad or good and why shield his character from fans who want and need to know. He did say in a interview that he had his own ship and I've read he's got a rank of Admrial

2. The countdown comic has revealed that a former captain of the enterprise is involved in some way captain Robert April.

3. In another interview from trekmovie.com they went for a preview on the 1st trailer and one of the reporters was told that BC Character Harrison was Using Robert Aprils weapon in the Klingon Homeworld scenes ??

In Conclusion I think that there's more to wellers character that meets the trailers so perhaps putting the spotlight on BC character is and might be a red herring just to put us off the real villain in the new movie !!!