This morning we see the release of not one, but two teaser trailers for J J Abrams’ highly anticipated Star Trek Into Darkness.
The first is the one released for the US market and the second was released for Japanese audiences. While they share a majority of footage, the Japanese trailer is a few seconds longer thanks to one shot that strongly recalls an iconic image from the classic Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan. Is this a spoiler for whatever story Abrams still has under wraps? Probably not. I am guessing this is Abrams doing something he knows will whip fans up into a frenzy.
As to speculation as to what the film’s actual story will be, I know that there is a segment of fandom who are convinced that franchise incoming actor Benedict Cumberbatch will be playing Gary Mitchell, a friend of Jim Kirk’s who gains tremendous telepathic powers only to be slowly driven insane by them. The character was introduced in the classic Trek series episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before.” However, this episode was already retold in the first two issues of the IDW ongoing Star Trek comic that has been carefully monitored by Paramount to ensure that it does nothing that will contradict what will happen in the films.
Given that one extra shot in the Japanese trailer and some of the things we see Cumberbatch’s character do in both trailers, I suppose there is evidence that the film may do some version of Star Trek II‘s titular villain Khan Noonan Singh. I’m still not sold on the idea that this would be the best way to go, though. With a whole new galaxy-wide playground on which to play, going back to rehash some classic Trek storylines strikes me as a lazy option.
Star Trek Into Darkness opens next summer.
If Spock dies AGAIN…
I want it to be Mitchell mostly because going to Khan strikes me as lazy, and why would you go after what is widely considered to be the best Star Trek movie ever made? It’d be like rebooting Star Wars and immediately targeting ESB for a remake.
So, I guess… both lazy and irresponsibly ambitious at the same time, then? :)
Regardless, I think the hands-on-glass thing has to be a swerve.
From my perspective, now that they’ve re-booted the franchise and reintroduced the characters, I think using any major elements of the original franchise is lazy, whether it’s Khan or Mitchell. Why go back back and re-use characters or storylines that are inevitably going to invite comparison when you can just tell brand new stories?
To be honest, STAR TREK movies will always draw comparison. It does not seem like Mitchell to me. Khan makes speeches like that……
I’m a lot more OK with using characters and situations from the original series than I am with reusing a movie’s primary villain. I think the Mitchell story could be explored and told in a lot more depth and in a really creative and interesting way, while that would be a lot tougher and ultimately less rewarding with Khan. That’s not to say it couldn’t work. One idea I read on AICN was that Starfleet could intercept Khan (Spock would know where his ship was floating) and press him and his followers into service as a “special forces” type team,… Read more »
I think, no matter which direction they go in, I’m going to do my darndest to judge each film on it’s own. Having said that, reusing characters from classic episodes or films *could* inspire folks who are unfamiliar with it to go back and actually watch the originals, which is always a great thing, IMO.
The speeches are more Garth than Khan to me, but I don’t think they’re going to bring him back. :)
my guess is that this parallels the STTOS… ending with them being put on seti alpha 5 albeit in an alternate timeline
Brad, Khan’s a bit of both; having gotten his start on an episode itself. That’s the interesting thing, since the new films are set during the character age that the TV show took place in. So they could actually revisit Khan from the get go, perhaps changing the particulars of the original Kirk/Khan encounter from Space Seed, rather than the second film.
That doesn’t really fit in with the “revenge” angle in the trailers, though. Khan wasn’t out for revenge when they woke him up, it was only after Ceti Alpha VI blew up and all that.
(Full disclosure: I TOTALLY haven’t watch the trailer. I’m just discussing interesting angles they could take, as I see’em.) Can’t really watch it till after work.
Also: *THIS* IS CETI ALPHA V! (sorry couldn’t help myself)
kahn maybe talking revenge about the people who put him into stasis… not necessarily kirk
Veto alpha 6
He put himself into stasis.
(I didn’t remember that from the episode until I looked up Khan on Memory Alpha this morning)
I’m totally watching Space Seed tonight.
okay i really need to leave this thread…. its sucking me in like a black hole… *wonders why disney doesnt remake THAT move*
That movie scared the crap out of me when I was a kid!
Ummm Caroline, Disney is looking at remaking THE BLACK HOLE.
https://www.filmbuffonline.com/FBOLNewsreel/wordpress/2009/12/01/tron-legacy-team-diving-into-black-hole/
I thing he’s going to be Xur.
The talkbackers at AICN are having a grand old time with this. Among their (tongue-in-cheek) ideas on who Cumberbatch is playing: Sybok, Evil Time Traveling Picard, Locutus, Soran, Wesley Crusher, Finnegan, and Charlie X.
I hope you’re happy Rich Drees! Look what you’ve started here! Lol
They’re facing off against Darth Vader. There. I said it.