Karl Urban Reveals Cumberbatch Star Trek Sequel Character?

One of the biggest points of speculation about the Star Trek sequel has been about the character played by Benedict Cumberbatch. There have been rumors, reports and denials about his role and today brings a brand new possible revelation, this time coming from co-star Karl Urban. More details and potential spoilers below.

 

Cumberbatch as Gary Mitchell?

The latest report on the villain character being played by Benedict Cumberbatch comes from SFX Magazine who are quoting Karl Urban from a junket for his upcoming film Dredd. According to SFX, Urban said of Cumberbatch:

"He’s awesome, he’s a great addition, and I think his Gary Mitchell is going to be exemplary.”

SFX says that this comment came "towards the end of a lengthily interview" about Dredd. The character of Lt. Cmdr. Gary Mitchell (originally played by Gary Lockwood) appeared in the (second) pilot for the original Star Trek series, Where No Man Has Gone Before." Could it be that Karl Urban has let the cat out of the bag and revealed that Cumberbatch is playing Kirk’s friend who became a maniacal super-man after passing through the galactic barrier? Many sites across the web are today taking Urban’s comment as an official confirmation.


Karl Urban apparently reveals that Cumberbatch (with Quinto in spy shot-R) is playing Gary Mitchell (as seen on TOS-L)

Of course much of the speculation and reporting about Cumberbatch has been about the character of Khan Noonien Singh. Many sites (including this one) had reported sources indicting that Cumberbatch was Khan. However, following these reports Simon Pegg issued what seemed to be a clear denial calling the notion of Cumberbatch as Khan "a myth." So perhaps Urban’s comment follows up with Pegg, moving the notion from Khan to Mitchell.

On the other hand, Urban’s comment completely contradicts co-writer/producer Bob Orci who recently denied Cumberbatch was playing Gary Mitchell. In addition, Gary Mitchell has already been seen in the new movie universe, specifically in the first issues of the new IDW Star Trek comic books. The new ongoing comic series is being overseen by Orci and others on the Star Trek team and it seems a somewhat unlikely that the first storyline for the new comics would feature the villain for the upcoming sequel.


Cover for Star Trek #2 featuring Gary Mitchell (and his silvery eyes)

This new comment from Urban is the latest salvo in what appears to be a back and forth about Cumberbatch’s character that has been going on for months. For now TrekMovie cannot confirm Urban’s comment and we still stand by our earlier reporting. However, there appears to be a lot of noise and possibly misinformation going around regarding the role being played by Cumberbatch. It is also a distinct possibility that Urban, who is a big Trek fan and well-versed in the lore, was just having some fun with the SFX interviewer.

Officially everything regarding the plot or new characters for the sequel are rumors from Paramount’s perspective.  So yes it is possible Cumberbatch is playing Khan, or Mitchell or even some other character.

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I would be really surprised if he was Gary Mitchell, especially with the comic book connection (as Anthony mentioned in the article).

Given that the pics show him in a Starfleet uniform it does make more sense. That said, with all the secrecy I can’t believe urban would just blurt it out like that.

Hmmm.

So Alice Eve would have to be Dr. Elizabeth Denner then. Makes sense.

I think each cast member should “let it slip” that Cumberbatch is playing a different classic character each time they’re interviewed.

For instance, someone like John Cho could chime in with “I think Cumberbatch’s portrayal of the Horta will set a new standard”. ;-)

But I was POSITIVELY ASSURED by posters here that it was Khan.

I will be glad if it is not Khan. There are so many TOS characters to choose from that they don’t need to go back to Khan.

Great idea, better than Khaaaaaaaan. Classic idea and new. Perfect.

It could be intentional misdirection.

Oops, bad spellcheck: s/b Dr. Dehner.

I had my hopes up for Cumberbatch playing the role off Dr. Roger Corby, with Alice Eve as Nurse Chapel.

Given the success of android role in Prometheus, and also the upcoming sequel to Bladerunner, why not?

But who would play Ruk?

Would much prefer Mitchell to Khan…

I think Urban is just having a little fun with us. He’s been established as knowing his Trek lore and is likely aware of the intense debate among fans.

I think the villain will be Lazarus

4, 11, others – Agreed. I totally think they are screwing with us.

I will be shocked if its either Mitchell OR Khan at this point.

I would have guessed Mitchell as a possibility early on, but I agree with the notion that the comic book is a good sign that it’s NOT gonna be him.

didn’t gary mitchell die in the new comic series? maybe someone who has read it can (and will) chime in. if that is the case, the movie won’t have mitchell as the villian. the comics are supposed to be a “lead-in” for the sequel not a re-hash.

Maybe he’s Sybok, but his ears got trimmed in a haircut accident.

I agree that Urban is just having fun. He knows his every word is being followed. And the fact that he is a huge Trek fan further supports the idea that he is name-dropping a character well known to Trekkies but not to the casual movie-goer. That’s my impression.

If they are redoing, ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before,’ not a fan of this idea.

If Cumberbatch is playing Mitchell and they are doing something different with the character that could be interesting.

But I hope this does not involve another alternate reality storyline. They got away with it for the reboot and now they need to stay away from it big time.

And for a long time.

He’s playing Q, can’t you tell?

@ Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, DamOn, Mr. Abrams

Does Benedict Cumberbatch play Gary Mitchell in the upcoming Star Trek sequel ?

No one’s watching; you can tell me.

Mr. boborci: If you are reading, will we get to see a mustachioed Chris Pine as George Kirk in this movie? Maybe in the 3rd movie?

Thanks in advance.

Bob Orci denied that Gary Mitchell is in the movie. I heard him state it live on the air. Actually, I heard it while I was on the phone with the radio station, so, because of the 3-second delay I heard it before anyone else!

Anyway, why would Orci just blatantly lie about the Mitchell character?

Or is Urban the liar?

Or…wait…maybe Urban is not saying Cumby is playing Mitchel in the movie, but rather that that his…..forget it, I’m at a loss.

Maybe if he is really Mitchell, the movie would start out with a flashback to events depicted in the comic and it would seem like Mitchell died and Kirk lost a friend. Then the rest of the movie focuses on telling a new story of Mitchell returning. It could present some interesting story possibilities for Kirk trying to save and redeem his friend.

One of his eyes is still glowing at the end of the comic, and he is left adrift presumed dead, quite a different ending for him than the TOS episode! I sure hope this is for real, because I have never actually seen people eat crow, and this would be an ideal circumstance.

Possible. More likely Urban’s just trying to throw us off. If it is true, then the next time Urban sees JJ it’ll be the director who is judge, jury and executioner. “I am the law.”

I haven’t read the comic book yet, so I don’t know if Mitchel meets the same fate in the JJ-verse as he did in the prime. But I always felt that even in the prime universe the character might have survived being entombed under that rock and come back looking for vengeance.

“Anyway, why would Orci just blatantly lie about the Mitchell character?
Or is Urban the liar?”
________

They are artists. Not liars.
They are probably being creative with the facts.

Can’t people be a little more appreciative of that OVAH HERE?!

:)

Finnegan!

As long as we don’t get Khan. Gary Michell is in the same mold as Khan, a god-like man. That wants to dominate others. So this makes sense since the powers that be always want to clone the Khan story.

Let them screw with us. All of the misinformation is serving to drum up interest in the film. Given that it’ll be over 4 years between movies, this is helping to build buzz before posters/trailers/tie-ins start coming out.

It’s definitely not Gary Mitchell, but I’m enjoying the fun. Maybe part of their non-disclosure agreements included misinformation they could put out there when the cast gave interviews?That’d be a fun trick.

Anyways, hope they release a teaser poster at Comic Con and maybe we’ll have a teaser trailer before we know it!

….or, an interesting and rather underhanded way to boost sales of that particular comic issue around the time the movie comes out….

…but that’s just the cynic in me talking. Hopefully not. That would be a pretty lame thing to do.

28- Haha, yep I’m enjoying it too. Pass the popcorn! :-)

This is hillarious. They’re just messing with us!

My guess is that it is not a re-do of any original series character.

“He’s awesome, he’s a great addition, and I think his Gary Mitchell is going to be exemplary.”

His Gary Mitchell? Maybe he creates an android or son and calls him Gary Mitchell.

Maybe Cumberbatch is a Q.

Or, maybe “Gary Mitchell” is slang for “villain?”

Urban is winding us up. It can’t be Gary Mitchell. That wouldn’t make chronological sense.

Hope Gary Lockwood got a nice check for his image on the comic book.

Next week Chris Pine will let it slip that you haven’t been choked until you’ve been choked by a Finnigan…..

Actually swap the Great Barrier for the galactic one… and Gary Mitchell could’ve been the suprise that saved Star Trek V The Final Frontier.

to quote Superherhype….”Assuming Urban’s statement is not an intentional red herring, one possibility — albeit a rather speculative one — is that there was some miscommunication about the name “Gary Mitchell” when the actual character is “Gary Seven.” Played by Robert Lansing in the episode “Assignment: Earth” (originally intended as a pilot for a “Star Trek” spinoff), Seven is a man of mystery who, working for an intergalactic organization, attempted to prevent nuclear war on Earth in the year 1968. In a pre-Abrams series of “Star Trek” novels, Seven’s mission directly connects him with Khan during Earth’s Eugenics Wars and could, potentially, be the source of the original Khan sequel rumors.

Pushing speculation even further, cast member Peter Weller bears a decided resemblance to Lansing and it’s possible that he and Cumberbatch play Seven from two different time periods (or timelines), much like Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy did in the original film.

Though hardly proof, the original reports from the set photos claim that Spock’s attempt to use his Vulcan nerve pinch on Cumberbatch’s character are ineffective, something that was also true of Seven in “Assignment: Earth”.

To which I say,….now, isn’t that intersting?

Karl Urban is also a Star Trek fan, so he knows who Gary Mitchell is, and I’m not buying it. To let the name slip so casually after all the secrecy? I think he either misspoke a character he is familiar with from being a TOS fan, or he is dis-informing us.

I can hear them… I can hear them laughing at us right now. And I don’t care. I like scavenging news in between movies. It makes the movie more gratifying and fun to watch. Bring it!!!

38. Almost off-topic, do you think the reason that Gary Seven never took off as a show is that it was too close to Doctor Who premise wise?

“I think Cumberbatch’s Edith Keeler is going to be exemplary!”

You heard it here first, folks.

4. (laughs). Exactly. The guy who plays Keenser will let it slip that BC’s playing Janice Lester. Or the Mugatu.

5. yep, there was plenty of “how do you know I killed him, Mrs. Fletcher?” evidence — Cumberbatch has dark hair and new muscles, and they had previously talked of casting a hispanic actor. And, as we all know, Khan is the only hispanic guy in history with dark hair and muscles. Oh, and a spy picture shows him in a struggle with Spock and possibly overpowering him, and possibly resisting the nerve pinch — except it’s a still, so who knows (if it makes it into the movie at all) what transpires before and after (he could have passed out from the neck pinch a microsecond after the photo was taken).

Sill it (Basement Blogger’s evidence) points to Khan as much as to anybody else (the starfleet uniform doesn’t really rule anybody out yet).

Lawyer: Police were looking at hispanic suspects. And the killer has dark hair and muscles. The suspect has dark hair and muscles, therefore, our suspect is the killer. He is also, therefore, hispanic.

J.J. Abrams must be happy now … no matter if it’s true or not … no one believes it or at least doubt that … ………..perhaps, maybe, talvez…. LOL

;-) :-)

Even though I know the graphic novels already ‘covered’ the Mitchell story in a decent remake of “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, I must say I wouldn’t mind if Gary Mitchell were indeed the new villain. Maybe he survived his ‘death’ on Delta Vega somehow (the original Delta Vega; not the 2009 one)? Or maybe the graphic novel will be a foreshadowing or something. Who knows?

At any rate, I think this is a MUCH better use of Cumberbatch as an actor than more obvious, tyrannical Khan. Mitchell has far more to play as a character. He starts out as a popular shipmate and good friend of Kirk’s who slowly evolves into a omnipotent monster; with the friendship corroding the whole time. Using Mitchell also offers an opportunity to fill in more dramatic shadings of the Kirk character as well; how will he deal with having to kill a good friend? It also fills in more of the ‘missing picture’ from his time at the academy (which we saw some of in ST09). Some of that potential was glimpsed in the graphic novel version of “Wher No Man Has Gone Before” too….

As long as the script is NOT just a lazy, note-for-note redux of “WNMHGB” then I’m totally 100% OK with this rumor, if it’s true….

;-)

PS: It also explains why Cumberbatch is wearing a Starfleet uniform variant, too…

Anthony, you dont have to say, but you know who he is playing dont you? You must have people on the inside….

Not asking you to say, but you know who he is playing right??

what a bunch of BULLSHIT!

ITS KHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!!!!!! (if i could make 20 font that i would)

Bob, are YOU laughing?

Looks like Spock’s getting a taste of his own medicine.