With the trailer out why are they keeping the villains ID secret?

[RoJoHen]

It generates more talk. More word of mouth = more hype = more $$$. Think about it: if we knew who it was, there would be talk of one name, but since we don't know, now there's talk of more than one name as people trying to "solve the riddle"

But I keep getting told this movie isn't made for people like me, that its made for people who aren't Trek fans. The only people this is driving conversation for is people who were already going to buy tickets anyways.

General audiences aren't going to care who the villain is...

This movie is being made for as many people as possible, Trek fans and non-Trek fans alike. Besides, this isn't just a Star Trek thing. JJ Abrams never likes to reveal things about any of his movies. He's not doing this to toy with Trekkies; this is just what he does.

 

[Dream]

KKKKKKKKKHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNN!

Anyone expecting Khan to appear in the last 30 seconds of this movie to set up the sequel?

 

[Enterprise is Great]

This is just a pre-trailer teaser trailer so they're not gonna reveal much until the trailer proper comes out. You got to build buzz first not scream it all out at once.

 

[F. King Daniel]

With the trailer out why are they keeping the villains ID secret?

To drum up specilation and buzz. Websites are publishing articles about who the villain may be. Forums are buzzing with theories. It's free advertising and it's fun, too!

"I am Gary Khan Kor Mitchell, and I have returned for my vengeance!"

 

[Therin of Andor]

General audiences aren't going to care who the villain is...

Exactly, but they chose not to go and see "Nemesis", probably because they heard how appalled many of the Trekkies were that the movie wasn't what they'd hoped it would be. That movie got bad word of mouth for at least a year before it came out.

 

[Starbreaker]

I love not knowing who the villain is. I find it much more fun to go into movies without reading the entire script first.

 

[rocketdave]

I like not knowing. If possible, it would be cool to be able to make it all the way to the premiere not knowing. When I saw Star Trek 09, I ended up feeling like I knew too much about the film beforehand. Thanks to the trailers, there was very little left to surprise me. There have been a few movies where I needed to be spoiled in pique my interest, but I already know I'm going to see this movie regardless, so I don't need spoilers.

 

[The Wormhole]

I like not knowing. If possible, it would be cool to be able to make it all the way to the premiere not knowing.

Not going to happen. We have the prequel comic beginning next month and even if that for some reason that doesn't reveal his identity, the action figure which is sure to be released in April certainly will.

 

[AHirogen]

Chances are that we will know very soon when the 9 minutes and the real trailer are out.

Are you so sure?

 

[Melakon]

If fan speculation narrows tightly enough on the villain to figure it out, JJ & Company could always re-edit to not mentioning his name until the last act. Or dub in a completely different name.

 

[Sindatur]

This is just a pre-trailer teaser trailer so they're not gonna reveal much until the trailer proper comes out. You got to build buzz first not scream it all out at once.

Yea, truth be told, I'm actually surprised we got as much as we did. I was half expecting barely more than a voice-over reciting part of the synopsis with a Shot of the Logo on the screen the whole time

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

If they just came out with it then that might excite fans even more.

Fans who would care enough to be worried about who the villain is 6 months from opening are going to see the film anyway.

Most of other people who will see this are average movie-goers who will be seeing this movie (which is probably a larger amount of people than the "fans"), and they don't really care enough about who the villain is 6 months from opening.

 

[BillJ]

I doubt the general movie going audience will care who the villain is six minutes before the film starts. As long as the villain blows up a lot of shit.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

I doubt the general movie going audience will care who the villain is six minutes before the film starts. As long as the villain blows up a lot of shit.

I think it's more like "the general movie going audience will care who the villain is six minutes before the film starts. As long as it's an entertaining movie."...

...But, yeah -- Seeing shit blow up can sometimes be entertaining.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Good writing, good acting. That's what you need for a good villain. Doesn't matter who it is in the end.

 

[Therin of Andor]

the action figure which is sure to be released in April certainly will.

Action figures of Dick Tracy's The Blank and Batman: The Mask of the Phantasm's Phantasm were promoted and sold without giving away their secret identities.

 

[GMDreia]

I'm not really seeing the point of keeping it secret if he were going to be Mitchell or Khan.
By now, most have guessed one or the other.

It DOES make sense to keep it a secret if the villain is going to be a more obscure TOS canon character such as Garth or Tracy... or for that matter, someone who had been a good guy or at least neutral in canon.

Because they'd have to generate quite a bit more buzz for any other character besides Khan or Mitchell, and this is a great way to create buzz.

 

[Oso Blanco]

Maybe his identity is a secret in the movie itself and will be revealed at the very end of the movie. That would make sense if he was some undercover agent like Arne Darvin.

 

[RoJoHen]

I like not knowing. If possible, it would be cool to be able to make it all the way to the premiere not knowing.

Not going to happen. We have the prequel comic beginning next month and even if that for some reason that doesn't reveal his identity, the action figure which is sure to be released in April certainly will.

That's really only a problem for those who read comics and look at toys. I could easily make it all the way to May without learning a single new piece of information.

 

[F. King Daniel]

He could go the entire 4-comic Countdown to Darkness arc without being named. IDW did it before, with Number One in their Crew comics.

Or the comic could set up other elements of the movie and avoid Cumberbaddie altogether. Like the state of the Klingon Empire and Federation/Klingon relations at the time.