Rumor: Benicio Del Toro To Play Khan in ‘Star Trek 2′?
Del Toro was rumored to be in Star Trek 2, and now we’re talkin’ his fucking role. Khan? Slashfilm has reported it, and then updated the report with an Abrams rebuttal. Do you buy it? How do you feel about it?
[Update:J.J. Abrams has stated that this rumor is “Not true.” In his original story, El Mayimbe said to “expect rebuttals and denials.” Which one is telling the truth? We probably won’t know for sure for awhile. Original story follows.]
A few weeks ago, we heard that J.J. Abrams wanted Benicio Del Toro for a villain role in the forthcoming Star Trek sequel. Back then, Germain speculated that Del Toro might be a great fit for the role of Khan. Now, El Mayimbe over at Latino Review has heard from unnamed sources that Del Toro will in fact be taking on the role of Khan Noonien Singh.
The role of Khan was immortalized by the late, great Ricardo Montalban. His performance as Khan in the original series and in Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan riveted audiences and critics, and gave us one of William Shatner’s most memorable line readings. In Khan, Kirk had found a worthy adversary, a genetically engineered, totally ripped badass who was both ruthless and imposing.
You know, maybe it’s because I don’t have a reverence for the original Treks, but I’m fine with this. They’ve already recast the original sacred cows, I don’t see the reasoning behind the potential uproar from Trekkies who liked the reboot. Thoughts?