Star Trek Into Darkness: Is Benedict Cumberbatch Playing Khan?

The Sherlock star has revealed that he is the next Star Trek villain—but it's not Khan

  • Share
  • Read Later

The mystery surrounding Benedict Cumberbatch’s role in J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek Into Darkness continues.

(WATCH: Star Trek Into Darkness Arrives…Sort Of)

The star of PBS’s Sherlock has debunked the rumor that he’s playing Khan, a genetically engineered tyrant and the main enemy in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and says he will instead be playing a terrorist named John Harrison.

So what’s this guy like? The British actor has been vague, but he told Access Hollywood that Harrison is “not your two-dimensional cookie cutter villain” and hopes viewers will even empathize with the character: “He has a purpose and it’s hard not to see his point of view at certain points.” That may be because Harrison’s motives are “personal,” the British actor told MTV:

“He has extraordinary physical powers, but also mental powers. He can sow an idea, which is as powerful as gunshots or close-hand combat, which he’s masterful in. He tears into the fabric of both the world and the Enterprise family, and he leaves behind him a trail of devastation.”

Ahead of the thriller’s opening on May 17, 2013, fans can now see a 9-minute preview before select IMAX screenings of The Hobbit — which is probably more satisfying than the minute-long teaser for film that came out on Dec. 6. The full trailer will be released on Monday.

LIST: Benedict Cumberbatch: The 2012 TIME 100 Poll

WATCH: Microsoft’s ‘Star Trek’ Universal Translator: Would It Have Downsides?