I thought this might make for a nice little midday distraction... especially for the Trekkies among us.
If you're planning on seeing 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,' there will be a trailer for J.J. Abrams' Trek sequel, 'Star Trek Into Darkness' (and if you go to an IMAX screening of 'The Hobbit,' the first nine minutes of 'Into Darkness' will be shown). However a one-minute preview for the longer 2-minute trailer has been released today.
For those that might have been living under a rock for the past half century or so, the collective 6 television series & now 12 movies of 'Star Trek' detail a Utopian future in which Humanity has overcome the problems of the present to lead over 150 species in Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets. In 2009, J.J. Abrams' 'Star Trek' effectively rebooted the franchise by creating an alternate timeline where things are a little different. The film enjoyed both popular & critical success, but there is a contingent of Trek fans that feels Abrams' film is an abomination and not "real" 'Star Trek.'
'Into Darkness' features Benedict Cumberbatch (best known as Sherlock Holmes in BBC's "Sherlock") as... well... we don't know.
The identity of Cumberbatch's character has been closely guarded by the production, and the teaser trailer doesn't reveal it. However, there's been much speculation, as well as fan theories.
There have been reports in the past that J.J. Abrams and others involved with the production are modeling this new Trek on what Christopher Nolan did with his Batman trilogy, and (like the title of the movie says) they want to take 'Star Trek' in a darker direction. Many have seen influences/similarities between the new poster released this week for the film & the poster for 'The Dark Knight Rises.' It depicts Benedict Cumberbatch's as yet unnamed character standing on a mound of rubble looking out over the devastation done to London of the mid-23rd Century.
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Also in line with the Nolan strategy, there have been fan debates in the past as to whether Khan is to Captain Kirk what The Joker is to Batman; a fundamental element of the series & an arch-nemesis that defines the hero. A possible hint that Cumberbatch's character may be Khan has been noticed in the Japanese version of the 'Into Darkness'' trailer. About 10 seconds are added onto the preview and it features Cumberbatch's character saying "Is there anything you wouldn't do for your family?" presumably of Chris Pine's Kirk, as Kirk and Spock (Zachary Quinto) touch hands together through glass. That's reminiscent of a very significant event in Trek canon.
Among the other theories about who Cumberbatch's character may be that's been circulating the series of tubes known as the internet:
- Gary Mitchell - A human character from the second pilot of TOS ("Where No Man Has Gone Before"), who develops superhuman abilities & goes out of control.
- Garth of Izar - From the episode "Whom Gods Destroy," Garth of Izar was a decorated, highly-regarded officer in Starfleet who went insane & attempted Genocide.
- Soran - From 'Star Trek: Generations,' an El-Aurian scientist whose home was destroyed by the Borg in the original timeline. He's best known as the character responsible for the death of Shatner's Kirk.