So, is this villain thing official (spoilers here)?

[Flying Spaghetti Monster]

You think they aren't doing any favors by not saying anything. Either Khan is in the movie or he isn't. You would think they would tell us. As far as I can see, all of the reports that Khan is in the film are just - technically speaking - hearsay... and unless Paramount says it's Khan, we really don't know.

you think they'd say something either yes or no by now.

If they did, please post it here.

 

[M'Sharak]

You think they aren't doing any favors by not saying anything.

You may recall that they kept a pretty tight rein on details for the last movie, too. It's SOP for any Abrams production—things will be made known when (and if) they want them to be known, and not sooner—so why expect things to be different for this one?


See also: click

 

[RoJoHen]

Indeed. Abrams likes to keep things secret. He's not about to divulge what could potentially be a huge spoiler for the movie. It's not his style.

 

[Franklin]

If it's not Khan, a lot of us on this board fell for the rumor hook, line, and sinker. (If it's Khan, then why the Stafleet sideburns on Cumberbatch? That STILL plays on me.)

Abrams is so secretive I can see him getting older and really eccentric. He'll film a movie and actors will be in it on a "need to know" basis. The recipe for Coca-Cola will be less secure than the plot of the movie. When it's done, they'll be no advertising or previews. He'll show it only to select invited audiences in a theater of his choosing, and everyone in attendence will have to sign a release saying they will undergo a memory erasure procedure to wipe the movie out of their minds before they leave the theater.

 

[F. King Daniel]

As long as I'm allowed my phone in the theater so I can post about it before getting my mind wiped.

Then come home, read it and spoil myself for the DVD release. Or something.

 

[ChristopherPike]

They are probably happy for all the hype about Khan to circulate, because they are confident about satisifying that. Otherwise I'm sure they'd want to nip that in the bud and change the expectation.

So I think he will be in it. But he WON'T be what the film is about. Nor will he be the villain. Too obvious.

Khan will probably be the pay-off, like an Empire Strikes Back bombshell going off right at the end. He's woken up as a consequence of somebody else's actions. That then sets up the usually difficult third film, with everybody wanting to know what happens next.

Something they were originally tempted to do with the first film, as an end of credits teaser with a shot of the Botany Bay floating in deep space. But they knew that would've been too fanwanky and a reference not understood by most of the audience.

They have got to build up to Khan and with a remake of "Space Seed" pretty pointless, come at him through a whole other set of characters seeking to find him OR at the very least, coming across him by accident like the U.S.S. Enterprise did before. And since it probably requires that, have a whole other adventure with Kirk and Spock with THEM and then pull Khan like a rabbit out of a hat, when everybody's had such a good time and completely forgotten.

 

[Set Harth]

Actually, they said the reason they didn't do it is because it would have tied their hands too much for the sequel...

 

[Greg Cox]

Guys, the movie is almost a year away. What's the rush?

I'm not sure when people got the idea that they needed to know everything about an upcoming movie months or years before the film even hits the theaters.

Nowadays it seems like people expect spoilers and a teaser trailer almost as soon as a movie is green-lighted. Whereas in my day we had to walk a hundred miles through the snow just to see a couple color photos in Starlog a few months before some new scifi movie opened.

Believe it or not, I had no idea what Raiders of the Lost Ark was about before I saw it for the first time. Talk about an exciting discovery!

 

[ChristopherPike]

I'm actually hoping they do keep a lid on all this... like they did with the destruction of Vulcan in the first film. As much as I didn't agree with their decision to do that, it does have certain possibilities for Spock and making the galactic situation different in the Abramsverse. It still came as a shock to me. Despite looking back now, amazed, at seeing its implosion among other clips chosen for the trailer. Paramount has always had lousy marketing, as evidenced by Star Trek III being promoted as "the final voyage of the Starship Enterprise"! Oh look... that's the best bit in the whole film given away for scott-free.

And hopefully all the Khan-fest rumour reporting, will be allowed to become a distant memory. I certainly think creating an entirely new Big Bad Wolf (like a villain born of Vulcan's destruction perhaps?) is preferable to Khan again... no matter how they gift wrap him. But fans DO keep bringing that character up. They spent the whole of the first film trying to open up new possibilities. Why steer back to something already explored?

 

[Lonemagpie]

Whereas in my day we had to walk a hundred miles through the snow just to see a couple color photos in Starlog a few months before some new scifi movie opened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

 

[Lance]

If it's not Khan, a lot of us on this board fell for the rumor hook, line, and sinker. (If it's Khan, then why the Stafleet sideburns on Cumberbatch? That STILL plays on me.)

That, and the fact that he's wearing the black variant starfleet uniform both indicate to me that Cumberbatch is definitely not playing Khan. I just don't buy it. I tend to think the internet rumour mill has overtaken this one (there are so many people who have become so convinced that Khan will be in this film, that they're looking for signs of him everywhere).

I do agree with the OP that a lack of confirmation from Paramount about exactly who it is that Cumberbatch is playing isn't exactly helping matters. But I simply don't buy that it's Khan. Personally, my money is on him being the God-like Gary Mitchell.

They are probably happy for all the hype about Khan to circulate, because they are confident about satisifying that. Otherwise I'm sure they'd want to nip that in the bud and change the expectation.

So I think he will be in it. But he WON'T be what the film is about. Nor will he be the villain. Too obvious.


Khan will probably be the pay-off, like an Empire Strikes Back bombshell going off right at the end. He's woken up as a consequence of somebody else's actions. That then sets up the usually difficult third film, with everybody wanting to know what happens next.

If Khan does appear in STXII, I suspect it'll be something like this. A secondary plotline, perhaps as a foreshadowing of movie number three. I just don't think it's Cumberbatch who is playing him.

 

[Franklin]

Guys, the movie is almost a year away. What's the rush?

I'm not sure when people got the idea that they needed to know everything about an upcoming movie months or years before the film even hits the theaters.

Nowadays it seems like people expect spoilers and a teaser trailer almost as soon as a movie is green-lighted. Whereas in my day we had to walk a hundred miles through the snow just to see a couple color photos in Starlog a few months before some new scifi movie opened.

Believe it or not, I had no idea what Raiders of the Lost Ark was about before I saw it for the first time. Talk about an exciting discovery!

Actually, I had no idea what TFF was about before I saw it. I didn't even read reviews. Talk about a -- well, uh -- discovery!

Whereas in my day we had to walk a hundred miles through the snow just to see a couple color photos in Starlog a few months before some new scifi movie opened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

OK, but speaking as an old fogey, Greg Cox is right. And you savored every drop of information you got until the next month's issue arrived in the snail mail.
Someday, us old folks will round up you kids and tell you all about the days of typwriters, carbon paper, and decwriters.

 

[Lonemagpie]

Guys, the movie is almost a year away. What's the rush?

I'm not sure when people got the idea that they needed to know everything about an upcoming movie months or years before the film even hits the theaters.

Nowadays it seems like people expect spoilers and a teaser trailer almost as soon as a movie is green-lighted. Whereas in my day we had to walk a hundred miles through the snow just to see a couple color photos in Starlog a few months before some new scifi movie opened.

Believe it or not, I had no idea what Raiders of the Lost Ark was about before I saw it for the first time. Talk about an exciting discovery!

Actually, I had no idea what TFF was about before I saw it. I didn't even read reviews. Talk about a -- well, uh -- discovery!

Whereas in my day we had to walk a hundred miles through the snow just to see a couple color photos in Starlog a few months before some new scifi movie opened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

OK, but speaking as an old fogey, Greg Cox is right. And you savored every drop of information you got until the next month's issue arrived in the snail mail.
Someday, us old folks will round up you kids and tell you all about the days of typwriters, carbon paper, and decwriters.

Ah, but I'm an old fogey too - I remember the days when there were only three TV channels, no home computers, no internet, no consoles, no cellphones... and the "next generation" of Trek was a cartoon!

 

[Lonemagpie]

Well, I say old - 43!

 

[Skywalker]

Nowadays it seems like people expect spoilers and a teaser trailer almost as soon as a movie is green-lighted. Whereas in my day we had to walk a hundred miles through the snow just to see a couple color photos in Starlog a few months before some new scifi movie opened.

Nonsense! In your day they didn't have color photography.

 

[BillJ]

I remember the first images for The Next Generation I saw were black and white stills in People Magazine.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

So I think he will be in it. But he WON'T be what the film is about. Nor will he be the villain. Too obvious.

Unless they have another high-profile actor to play the "real" villain (a Klingon?), Cumberbach needs to be "the" antagonist in some regard. But his history could be totally different from that other universe's Khan. As long as they change his bio sufficiently that there's no problem with him being non-Indian-looking, and nobody's idea of physical perfection (unless you are being very generous and/or nearsighted), then let's see what they got.

He could be some hapless human genetic engineer from the past, abducted by nasty Klingons to improve the species...? The prospect of super-Klingons running around is scary enough that this "Khan" could be a terrible threat, even if he isn't a bad guy, and doesn't want to help the turtleheads become more perfect in their turtleness.

 

[Set Harth]

I tend to think the internet rumour mill has overtaken this one (there are so many people who have become so convinced that Khan will be in this film, that they're looking for signs of him everywhere).

But they have inside sources.

 

[Therin of Andor]

You think they aren't doing any favors by not saying anything. Either Khan is in the movie or he isn't. You would think they would tell us.

They are getting plenty of free subspace chatter as it is. Every time there's a hint of a lull, something else rumor-worthy breaks. Tell everyone too much, too early, does nothing more.

As long as they change his bio sufficiently that there's no problem with him being non-Indian-looking

You mean, like Montalbán?

nobody's idea of physical perfection (unless you are being very generous and/or nearsighted)

He's been a long time asleep without access to a gym, or even sunshine. Also, we don't know how long it's been since he reawakened. Heck, we don't really know if it's Khan.

Stop panicking.

doesn't want to help the turtleheads become more perfect in their turtleness.

Turtled helmets, anyway, if the last film's bonus/deleted footage was any clue.

 

[newtontomato539]

I had to walk uphill. Both ways. The Internet hadn't taken off yet. Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were still in training pants.