The villain for JJ Abrams' still in production sequel to his 2009 Star Trek is........wait for it......drum roll...eh, forget it the picture above gives it away. So yeah the villain is Khan, like I predicted oh like a month or two ago....ahem.
It certainly does not get points for being a unique choice of villain, nor is it particularly original or creative. However, it is safe. Safe makes studio execs happy and loosens the purse strings of said studio. I am sure when JJ and team pitched the film to Paramount that they lost their minds over the potential of using such universally recognized villain like Khan. They could have it both ways: Get the young people based on their interest in the first one and then grab the older ones who remember Khan from the original series episode Space Seed and The Wrath of Khan.
So this choice does make sense from a business standpoint for both the creative team and the Paramount brass. But does it make sense from a story standpoint? Yes and no. Reintroducing and reinterpreting an established character is a tricky thing. If done right, a la The Dark Knight, you get a brave and spectacular portrayal that redefines the character in ways that are truly exciting and new. If done wrong, well then you have many asking questions like "why?" or "was that really necessary?" and many just finding the whole thing rather tedious and boring. You alienate the base of fans who already love that character and turn off anyone new to said character. In short: it is a disaster of franchise killing proportions.
Now, with that said, I do feel strongly there is still alot of fertile ground story and character-wise to mine from Khan. I do not feel that Ricardo Montlban's performances of Khan are THE definitive interpretation of the character and that his Khan should be held sacred and never again revisited or reinterpreted. No, I think Khan is a character who needs to be looked at again through the lens of the times in which we live and informed by that view.
There is so much that can be taken from this character that applies to the times in which we live. He is a former dictator who believes in absolute rule through military might. He is a result of scientific experimentation and raises questions about the ethical obligations we have in relation to advances in technology. Last, he is a brilliant man whose one great flaw is his arrogance and sense of pride. I mean all of these ideas could be applied to people and events that have occurred in the last 10 years or less.
So there is plenty that JJ and company can do with this character to make him seem interesting and new.
In addition, JJ and team have cast a brilliant actor in the role with Benedict Cumberbatch. If you have not seen the BBC show Sherlock yet, I can not recommend it enough. The first series is available on Netflix streaming right now. Go, watch it now. Oh wait, finish reading this and then go watch it. Moving on, Cumberbatch is amazing in the title role as Sherlock Holmes and I feel confident that he will be able to breathe new life into Khan with equal parts raw brilliance and absolute evil of intention.
In addition to the news of Khan being the villain, it was also revealed today that Leonard Nimoy would be returning to the role of Spock in the new film. This is really not a big surprise and is something I kind of thought might happen because....
One of the main bridge crew will die in this film. That folks is my next bold prediction in relation to this film. I think JJ and co. are going to mirror TWOK by having a member of the crew of the Starship Enterprise sacrifice themselves to save the ship and crew. (It really is a shame every time Khan comes around Kirk has to lose a member of his bridge crew..sigh.)
My bet right now is either Uhura or young lad Chekov. Spock prime will be at the funeral for either and hence why his involvement in the new film.
One last thing revealed today was that the Klingons would play a significant role in the film. No surprise again here as it was long believed that JJ and co. planned to have the Klingons be the first to find the adrift SS Botany Bay. I am certain they will carry that plan out and Khan will be leading the Klingons in some capacity in this film.
All in all, this has been a good day for Trek fans hungry for any details about the new film. It would appear that either JJ himself orchestrated the leak of info or there are some pretty big cracks in his mystery box. In any event, I am happy with the choice of villain and have high hopes that JJ and his team can do for Khan what Chris Nolan and Heath Ledger were able to do for the Joker. Time will tell of course, but for now I am certainly excited by the possibilities. Yes We Khan!
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