The new Star Trek Into Darkness trailer has sparked a lot of comments and speculation here and across the web. Some of that speculation has already morphed into the first mashup of the trailer. Some sees clues in wardrobe and even hairstyles. See below for a breakdown of some of the bigger recurring themes of the Star Trek Into Darkness Speculation Game around the web – and watch the new Gary Mitchell Mashup.
Trailer Sparks Gary Mitchell Speculation/Elizabeth Dehner Speculation (and Mashup)
The speculation that Benedict Cumberbatch plays Gary Mitchell as the villain in the new Star Trek movie has been persistent since he was first announced. Karl Urban also decided to fuel the fire by namedropping Mitchell in an interview of the summer, but that was later debunked by Roberto Orci. But that hasn’t stopped anything. And of course the new trailer showing Cumberbatch wearing Starfleet uniform has only given more fuel to the fire.
Cumberbatch is in Starfleet? Mitchell was in Starfleet – case closed!
Many other websites (though not citing actual sources or inside info) are pushing the Cumberbatch as Gary Mitchell speculation. For example Hollywood.com speculates the memorial scene was for Mitchell, and the alien planet with orange vegetation is Delta Vega (which would have to be a different Delta Vega than the icy one we saw in Star Trek 2009).
Another Delta Vega? How many are there?
In fact, the new trailer has even sparked its own Mitchell mashup, using footage from the second Star Trek pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before." (done by YouTuber dwoodwoo).
In "Where No Man Has Gone Before" Lt. Cmdr. Mitchell is Helmsman of the USS Enterprise and best friend to Capt. James T Kirk. After passing through the galactic barrier he is transformed (along with Dr. Elizabeth Dehner). Together they both have super powers and in the case of Gary, he soon looks upon his crew as just puny humans to be crushed, forcing his friend Kirk to try to neutralize him. A new universe version of Gary has appeared in the Star Trek comics, and he was again dispatched by the new Kirk, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation.
McCoy takes down Mitchell in the comics – does he return in the movie?
Adding to this Mitchell speculation is Alice Eve’s appearance in the trailer. As noted by some other sites, including IGN, Eve is sporting a hair style very similar to Sally Kellerman’s Dr. Dehner from "Where No Man Has Gone Before." Some has seen this as ‘proof’ she is playing Dehner, but that is probably taking it a bit far.
The hair makes the spoiler?
It is confirmed on the record (by Bob Orci) that Eve and Cumberbatch are playing characters from Star Trek’s canon, so Mitchell and Dehner could be possibilities. TrekMovie has not reported on Eve’s role except to report that she is a member of Starfleet (which is clear enough from the trailer).
But what about Khan? And Chapel? And Marcus?
But the other bit of big speculation is about Khan. TrekMovie (along with some other sites) had previously reported that Cumberbatch is playing Khan Noonien Singh. Soon after Simon Pegg said all the talk of Khan was "a myth," however so far TrekMovie has not posted a retraction or update on that original story. And with this new trailer, the Khan talk has hit a fever pitch. The super strength shown by Cumberbatch’s character is what you might expect from a genetic superman. And isn’t beating up Klingons to prove how strong you are a Star Trek trope? Remember how someone made a whole video compilation of Worf getting beat up to show the current threat?
If you beat up a Klingon you are Certified Baddass in Star Trek
But there is more in the new video for Team Khan. Many fans, including commenters here, have spotted a possible clue in the new trailer. More specifically noting the interesting parallel in the collars worn by Ricardo Montalban’s Khan in Star Trek II and Cumberbatch in Into Darkness. This was also picked up by Slashfilm, however they also point out this evidence is "by no means conclusive."
Collar a Khan clue?
But Slashfilm did note TrekMovie’s recent reveal that "Star Trek: Vengeance" was an alternative title for the film and how that might tie into Star Trek II, noting "Vengeance is a concept clearly reflected in the first teaser for the movie, leading many to focus on the idea that this film will be much more “dark” than other Trek projects. (And helping the Wrath of Khan speculation)."
One thing that has been picked up by a number of TrekMovie commenters is similarities between Spock’s trip through lava fields in the Into Darkness trailer and the final moments of the Genesis planet from Star Trek III. This too feeds into the Khan speculation because it was Khan (in the final moments of Star Trek II) who fired the Genesis device into a nebula to create the Genesis planet, which eventually broke up after spouting some lava (which Kirk used to help kill the Klingon Kruge in Star Trek III).
Alt universe Genesis planet also unstable?
And of course that isn’t the only thing spotted in the trailer, or more specifically the Japanese version with the extra bit at the end. Many sites caught the image of two hands between a transparent divide. As noted this site and others it was rather familiar. MTV says "It’s a clear reference, which seems like a curious choice for the first teaser, since everyone and their mother is assuming that Cumberbatch is playing some alternative universe version of Khan." While there is no definitive proof that the hand in the black sleeve is that of Kirk, Chris Pine fans (including the followers and contributors to The Chris Pine Hand Porn Spectacular Tumblr) are convinced those are the hands of their Captain Fine.
Homage much?
As for Eve, wearing a blue uniform seems to have tamped down speculation she could be Janice Rand, but other contenders of Dr. Carol Marcus and Nurse Christine Chapel are still getting a lot of comments amongst the Trekkies.
Is Eve (C) screaming as Marcus (L) or Chapel (R)?
And of course these things are all just tips of the speculation iceberg. Possibilities for Cumberbatch also include Gary Seven, Garth of Izar, Joachim (Khan’s right hand man in Star Trek II), and beyond. A current poll at Wired has Khan in the lead with 37% with Mitchell in second with 28% with Charlie X in third at 4%.
POLL: Who is Benedict?
You have seen the poster and the trailer and the Japanese Trailer. So it is time again to weigh in and guess the villain…
[poll=701]
Its the X-Man.
Of course it is. It’s derivitive.
Re: the two hands on the panel scene in the trailer. Couldn’t it be Pike getting irradiated as he did in the original timeline? Only this time he dies (hence the memorial service)?
I don’t think it could be Khan. Plus how could he have been affected by the changes in the timeline. He was in cryogenic sleep from 1996; well before the events of the first movie, so he could not be an alternate version of Khan. I don’t know who it could be, too much spin lol. We’ll just have to wait I guess
The more I read up on Garth, the more I think it’s him. Apparently he was part of a battle that kept the federation together… Sounds probable that it might have something to do with the new movie. Either him, or Gary Mitchell. I think that haircut is too closely similar to be a coincidence.
Kinda hard for me to vote in the poll if it’s been closed after 18 votes…
I think Peter Weller as Khan would make things interesting.
Never mind.
Eve is playing Fay Wray.
Did Alice Eve’s dentist just tell her to open wide or what?
I’m just gonna take a wild stab in the dark that the Q or the Borg are going to make an apperence some time throughout the movie =D
My guess is Khan and Carol Marcus for these reasons:
1) Hollywood usually introduces the big villain of a franchise in the second film. Khan is the big villain of the Star Trek movie franchise.
2) In an interview with Trekmovie, Roberto Orci said the comics are canon. If they are, would Bad Robot really allow Gary Mitchell to be introduced in the comics first if they are canon? That would be unusual.
3) Also, the original title of The Wrath of Khan was The Vengeance of Khan.
4) The original group of actors for the Cumberbatch role that were rumored were mostly Hispanic like Ricardo Montalban
5) Yet, Bad Robot is smart enough not to try and duplicate Ricardo Montalban’s uniqueness with an actor who would just imitate him
6) The extra footage in the Japanese trailer basically cinches there is a TWOK homage. That is a Vulcan, most like Spock, making the Vulcan salute. There is not going to be a TWOK homage in a Gary Mitchell movie.
7) Didn’t one of the filmmakers say that they wanted to end the first movie with a tag with the Botany Bay after the credits?
While I wouldn’t bet “real money” as McCoy would say that it is Khan, I think that it is. It could be Gary Mitchell, Garth of Izar, or a new character. I am confident only that Cumberbatch is not the Mugatu or a Gorn.
7)
Ok I got it…Weller is Khan, Benedict is Gary Seven.
The characters in this version have been changed, so it’s hard to speculate. No evidence of Mitchell’s godlike powers in that trailer. My guess is the fans have thought out the plot in far more detail than the creators.
By Pascale’s sound of it… It’s Khan.
Actually I’m hoping that the Borg do NOT make an entrance into this movie. It would be interesting no doubt.
Well, I know it is Khan, but it is funny because I have never heard Garth of Izar’s name come so much in a Trek conversation EVER.
Which is good for this…..
https://www.facebook.com/StarTrekAxanar
I hope the villain is Gary Mitchell. It would be an interesting character to bring back and do on a larger scale. I just hope that the villain is truly menacing.
Khan, as portrayed by Montalban, definitely set the standard pretty high for Star Trek villains. Every film since Star Trek II has tried to have a villain of the same mold and has largely failed.
I am “OK” if they decide(d) to go with “Khan” as the villain, but I think, if that is the route that was taken, it’s kind of a letdown. There are villains in the original canon of “Trek” that could be re-imagined and translate well to the big screen if done correctly. Gary Mitchell, as a character that existed from the second pilot, would be a great character to introduce in the new film.
I just hope that the character has some depth and “reason” for doing what he does. A black hat villain is not a worthy adversary if he does not have some motivation behind his actions. He must be three dimensional as well as existing to help the main characters grow.
I don’t believe you’re going to see Captain Garth or Gary Seven or anyone else. Gary Seven was not a villain, and Garth is way to obscure a choice. My money is on Gary Mitchell or Khan (And I’m hoping for Mitchell).
Without the crazy Mitchell god-eyes, and with the extent of superhuman ability I’m seeing, I think there’s a very good chance that we could be seeing Khan. I’m actually kinda hoping for it now.
Trekmovie fans will never get the award for “original thinking”
I was guessing Weller was Khan, Benedict is Juachim. I would explain the return to Earth and vengence. Maybe the Klingons found the Botany Bay and unfroze them on a Klingon planet.
@3: That 1996 reference from SpaceSeed and TWOK is outdated. There simply was no Khan ruling two-thirds of the Earth in the 90s. Either Star Trek represents an alternate future or they finally come up with new dates! It’s 2092-2096…as it has always been in the German dubbed version of the TV episode.
It was only the shortsightedness of the 60s and 70s to put events like those 20-30 years into the future. They simply didn’t think about people still watching those shows 40 years into the future! That’s why Gerry Anderson called that Moonbase Alpha show “Space 1999″… The year 2000 was very popular with past SciFi writers. But then there were no flying cars, no inflatable pizza…
There is no way around moving those dates further into the future! The Eugenic Wars simply haven’t happened yet…
The collar is not a Khan clue. It appears “Mitchell” is wearing a robe/cloak that the Klingons wore in the ’09 outtakes. Perhaps a disguise to gain access to the Klingon facility where he kicks butt. Just a guess.
I think most of us would really like for it not to be Khan.
But i’m not sure if it’s not.
Look on the bright side. Somewhere in the next four years we might get a star trek movie that is not about some angry bad guy seeking vengeance.
But who knows, maybe we will get another one of those too.
Poor Joachim removed his name from the “Wrath of Khan” actor credits. I’m not sure the studio would waste Benedict Cumberbatch on him. And they probably want a love interest to throw off more heat than the Dr. Dehner, the “walking freezer unit.”
I’m thinking it’s Vincent from Cowboy Bebop: “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”. That’s where I think they went to get the plot for the movie. I can smell it a mile away.
Cumberbatch’s character might play Mitchell, but he’ll be Vincent from the movie, with a touch of Mad Pierrot from Session 20, “Pierrot Le Fou”.
Pine plays Spike Spiegel playing Kirk.
That’s where I think this is going.
Awesome article, as usual. Whets our appetite, as well as being an apt(era) discussion of the state of Trek movie discussion at this point. (Whatever happened to that Aptera, anyway?)
Most importantly, I voted for Gary Mitchell because he was first on the list.
Okay, not very scientific. I admit it.
P.S.: It’s interesting that Anthony says that “TrekMovie” has not retracted the Khan prediction, as in fact he IS TrekMovie as far as I know. It’s sort of like my saying that “Hat Rick” has not retracted his criticism of President Obama’s NASA vision. Which, by the way, he hasn’t.
P.S.S.: By the way, I love how this is playing out. I want there to be more mystery, actually. So, I am looking forward to JJ’s cancellation of the December 14 9-minute preview just so we Trek fanboys may be invited to speculate all the more fanboyly.
P.S.S.S.: Still want more Porthos in the movie.
Nice work, Anthony!! very timely! =)
Using intelligence from Spock Prime, Section 31 has been exploiting assets such as Laudru and now the Crew of the Botany Bay. Engineered humans make excellent operatives, until their genetically engineered superior intellects and egos drive them to do what they were designed to do. Conquer and rule the earth.
Anthony you spelt Joachim wrong in the article and the poll.
…yep, it’s Gareth “Gary” Mitchell… ;-)
…and Weller is his father… older and wiser, who talks him down from destroying the world… ;-)
I thi I its Joachim, it might have been Khan if Benicio Del Toro was cast, but I think they reworked the script when Cumberpatch was signed.
It’ll be Khan but he’ll be so reimagined it won’t be Khan. Just like this is Star Trek but so reimagined that it’s not (quite) Star Trek.
Someone else in a previous post suggested Khan would here be a sort of “blowback” to some experiment or program of Starfleets. Somehow that sounds right and might allow for some thinly veiled topical commentary. (Which would be very Star Trek.)
I have a sudden flash of inspiration that Khan here will be a sort of symbol for the Taliban, that as the U.S. developed, encouraged, and then ignored the mujahideen in Afghanistan in the ’80s, only to have to deal with the Taliban in the 2000s, so will Starfleet have developed some sort of engineered being(s), then ignored or betrayed him/them, and now have to deal with it.
(I am not trying to make a political argument here, just indulging an idea of how the film might do so.)
…but Khan WAS the first choice, until they couldn’t get anyone who was a big enough chump to take the role… then they re-scrambled… with some Khan elements left in… including his wardrobe… and the death of Spock scene… =(
@20: I agree, they move the date of the Eugenics Wars which explains the poster – Joachim looking at a Eugenics ravaged London,
I can totally sympathize with ZQ if he wanted to get killed-off… =(
and respect him for doing so (if he did)… ;-)
At this point, it doesn’t really matter of it’s Khan or Mitchell anymore. What I consider much more pivotal is that this movies turns out to be the mother of all TWOK reboots and thus, finally the LAST one of its kind for a VERY long time…
Don’t get me wrong: TWOK is one of the greatest, if not THE greatest Trek movies yet, and while I do understand writers / producers want to recreate something like it in order to please both fans and general audience, this quest for outkhaning TWOK has to stop!
This is the THIRD attempt in a row that tries to emulate the concept of a disgruntled foe to go on a blaze of vengeance… Shinzon, Nero and now Cumby, be it Khan or Mitchell or even Garth of Izar, and so far, each time, the villain’s motives have become more obscure…from a shoehorned Picard clone to a timetraveling madman who decides to blow up planets because his world was destroyed by a natural catastrophy…I truly hope this one will be better motivated and finally put an end to those futile attempts at xeroxing TWOK…
BOBORCI, if you’re still listening. If there is a third one (and you’ll be in charge), here is a negative checklist of things that shouldn’t be part of it…
1. Don’t send your villain on a blaze of revenge, vengeance, retribution, retaliation, vendetta or whatsoever… It has been done to death by now…namely 2, 10, 11 and clearly 12.
2. Don’t let the Enterprise save Earth once again… It’s been done…1, 4, 8, 10, 11 and most likely 12.
3. If possible, skip the entire “bad guy” concept. Try to find a way to do without “villains”…V’Ger or the Whale Probe were NOT villains but worked effectively to set up a threat.
4. And if you must employ another classic villain, give him some real, on-topic motives: religious fundamentalism, natural resources, racism, you name it…Make him relevant again. Not just revenge, revenge, revenge…gone there, been there, got the T-shirt…
5. If you have to copy (or at least borrow from) yet another major blockbuster franchise, don’t let it be any comic book adaptation. TDK and TDKR are great movies for what they are but there are others that would fit a whole lot better: especially AVATAR! Now, that is a movie that really explores strange new worlds, seeks out new life and new civilisations! Why pulling a “Joker” up your sleeve when you could easily visit such a marvellous world as Pandora? While the plot of this one may be derivated from Pocahontas it DOES employ topical issues such as environmentalism, capitalism etc…
I’ve been on the Khan bandwagon for a long time, but after watching the trailer I’m really having doubts that it is Khan or Mitchell.
#1. If we assume the narrator on the trailer is the true voice of the villain, then neither Khan nor Mitchell should have a British accent. That could overlooked if these were “re-imagined” characters, but they are not. They are the same characters but in an alternate universe. Just Like Karl Urban and Simon Pegg are not using their native accents, I would expect Cumby to use an appropriate accent.
#2. It seems like the target for the vengeance is star fleet itself. Gary Mitchell would have his beef personally with Kirk, and Khan (before he was marooned on Ceti Alpha 5 for 20 years) didn’t want revenge, he just wanted to rule. So if it is Khan, then something has happened between the time he was awakened and the time of the movie to make him mad. (We do know however that the character has the capacity to be vengeful if suitably motivated).
So I am really starting to wonder if it is someone else. Maybe someone we know about but has never appeared on an episode. Bob Orci said the villain is canon, but that doesn’t mean he was ever on an episode. Maybe he was just mentioned at some point.
If it’s Mitchell, I think it’s a mistake to assume the movie is going to do exactly as the comic did.
I think the 9 minutes is going to be an action packed mini movie complete in itself, having a beginning, middle, and end. It’s going to be an episode compressed into 9 minutes which will intro the character, the problem, and the resolution, which resolution will explode into a new problem in the movie proper.
Though I don’t know who the character is, try as I might, I CANNOT see that character as Khan. I can just barely see him as Joaquim if I ignore certain pieces of evidence, but not Khan. He is as white a man as ever there was, and he’s Starfleet, so if that is Khan, then JJ is toying with us in a way that I do not find interesting, all to preserve a secrecy of questionable value.
Also, TWOK reference in this trailer is too blatant. It smacks of misdirection from a crew of people who love remixing. It’s just too classic-formula to be a legit Khan reference, otherwise this film WILL be a reboot of TWOK. But it won’t be that if this film just borrows and remixes elements from TWOK, which I think is what is happening.
I think they carefully chose the hands on the glass clip specifically to generate speculation of Khan. Which is why I don’t trust the impression it creates. Seeing a TWOK reference makes me think anything BUT TWOK when coming from these guys.
But I detect NO clear impression in the trailer specifically of Gary Mitchell, really, or of any other canon character, which makes me think this guy could be someone new. Either that or they are cutting the trailer very closely to obfuscate his identity.
Joachim fixed
I’m honestly hoping it is Section 31…They stage an attack on Earth to start a war against the Klingons and use either Khan or Mitchell as a super-weapon.
I think that would make for a logical post 9-11 storyline
I know section 31 is far far far far far far from TOS canon…as far as can be actually, but they’re such an interesting..villain if you can even call them that and I would definately love to see more.
Cumberbatch says,”you think your world is safe…” Wouldn’t that make him not of your world? So he is either an alien or a time-traveler? Nah, maybe he is just a psycho!
Does no one remember Space Seed and how non-vengeful Khan was there? And why are so many people so hell bent on every Star Trek II having Khan?
@DSquires1119 (37), it’s the little dude from the Fesarius. Think about it: We all thought we’d be safe because he fell for the Corbomite maneuver. We all thought that since he was Ron Howard’s bro and also appeared in one of those Airplane movies, he was real nice and just a cute widdle alien.
But in fact, how the hell did someone like him get a ginormous starship the size of Maryland had he not actually been a ruthless little scumbag? Kinda like Mini-Me, but much cuter and scarier.
Okay, so my vote’s for the guy from Corbomite.
That is all.
Khan, Gary Mitchell….who cares.
Alice Eve is in this movie.
And she….looks…awesome.
Well done JJ, you have casted well, Sir.
I salute you.
:-p
I’m not convinced about anything … so I I have not voted!
:-) ;-)
Couldn’t the threat from within Star Fleet be Weller’s character, who is maybe a descendant of his character from the series Enterprise? And he finds out the Klingons have the crew of the Botany Bay and he “recruits” them to help his cause?
Pegg said it wasn’t Khan, and he’s not the sort to directly lie just to keep a secret. The villain might be Khan-adjacent, though.
I read another speculation wherin the Guardian of Forever is involved. That would actually be interesting, IMO.
@37 “Bob Orci said the villain is canon, but that doesn’t mean he was ever on an episode. Maybe he was just mentioned at some point.”
Admiral Archer’s prize beagle is a shapeshifting Tribble?
I bow to the genius of JJ for this marketing strategy! I hope they keep it secret until it premieres.