khan star trek benedict cumberbatch

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Star Trek Into Darkness

After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass ... Read all After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

• J.J. Abrams
• Roberto Orci
• Alex Kurtzman
• Damon Lindelof
• Zachary Quinto
• Zoe Saldana
• 1.3K User reviews
• 587 Critic reviews
• 72 Metascore
• 7 wins & 58 nominations total

• (as Zoë Saldana)

• Spock Prime

• Carol Marcus

• Thomas Harewood

• Rima Harewood

• Ensign Brackett

• Lieutenant Chapin

• Ensign Froman
• (as Jonathan H. Dixon)

• Navigation Officer Darwin
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia Leonard Nimoy 's final film role (and by extension, his final time portraying Spock) before his death on February 27, 2015 at the age of 83. It's also the first in the Star Trek franchise (either movie or TV series) after the death of Majel Barrett .
• Goofs (at around 1h 24 mins) While planning the space jump, Sulu's display incorrectly labels the Enterprise as NCC/0514, which is the registry for the USS Kelvin from Star Trek (2009) . It should read NCC/1701.

James T. Kirk : The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Spock : An Arabic proverb attributed to a prince who was betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects.

James T. Kirk : Well, still, it's a hell of a quote.

• Crazy credits There are no opening credits in the film except for the title card, making this the third consecutive Star Trek film that does not list its cast at the beginning.
• Connections Featured in The One Show: Episode #7.133 (2012)
• Soundtracks Theme from 'Star Trek' TV Series Written by Alexander Courage & Gene Roddenberry

User reviews 1.3K

• Jan 16, 2021
• How long is Star Trek Into Darkness? Powered by Alexa
• Why would Kirk be stealing something from the Nibiru tribe in the first place?
• What is "Star Trek Into Darkness" about?
• Why did Kirk get into serious trouble with Admiral Pike and Starfleet Command for his actions on Nibiru?
• May 16, 2013 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Star Trek 2
• The Getty Center - 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Star Fleet Headquarters)
• Paramount Pictures
• Skydance Media
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $190,000,000 (estimated)
• $228,778,661
• $70,165,559
• May 19, 2013
• $467,365,246

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 12 minutes
• Dolby Digital
• Dolby Atmos
• IMAX 6-Track
• Dolby Surround 7.1

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

‘KHAAAAN!’: why Wrath of Khan remains the greatest Star Trek movie, 40 years on

A gloriously evil villain, big-screen shocks, mind-control space slugs! The film photon torpedoed everything that went before, leaving a legacy that has yet to be bettered

W hen JJ Abrams began rebooting Star Trek with a fresh cast and crew of the Enterprise in 2009, many hardcore Trekkers complained that the new movies lacked the Apollo-era optimism and vision of space adventure as one giant cosmic morality tale that, in their view, had made the long-running saga stand out from its peers. Gone were slow-paced allegories playing on contemporary western culture, its triumphs and its horrors. In were hectic space battles, time travel, a strange obsession with motorbikes and plenty of fisticuffs.

What many of these critics failed to notice, was that this dichotomy between Star Trek as blockbuster space opera and thinking-man’s sci-fi had been going on for at least three decades before Abrams even got his hand on the Enterprise’s tiller. And to this day, the series’ greatest movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, only succeeded because it broke all the rules expected from an episode of Gene Roddenberry’s creation.

The Nicholas Meyer-directed 1982 film, which celebrates 40 years since its UK release this year, was a low budget follow-up to 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture. That film lifted a storyline straight out of the 1960s original series: something about a nefarious energy cloud later revealed as an ancient human space probe refitted by aliens that has subsequently achieved sentience and turned on Earth. The plot was so nebulous that even Spock struggled to work out what was going on. It duly picked up middling reviews and was a box-office disappointment for studio Paramount, largely due to its gargantuan (for the time) $44m shooting budget.

Out went Roddenberry (as producer) and in came Meyer to write and direct the project, with a much more frugal $12m budget. As well as including some juicy sci-fi stylings such as the Genesis terraforming program, Meyer, who knew nothing about Star Trek, spotted early on that the sequel needed an antagonist for William Shatner’s Admiral James T Kirk to face off against if it was to achieve the right level of big screen theatricality. The perfect solution was to bring back Ricardo Montalbán’s Khan Noonien Singh from the 1967 TV episode Space Seed, about a group of dangerous superhumans encountered by the crew of the Enterprise, who are left stranded by Kirk on an uninhabited but fertile planet.

At the time this is intended to be a merciful decision by the captain, an alternative to being sent to a penal colony for their crimes. But of course, we swiftly find out in Wrath of Khan that the supposedly perfect world picked by Kirk turned out to be in an unstable region of space, and that most of Khan’s people ended up dead or starving when a neighbouring planet subsequently exploded. Oops.

Cue a Melvillian battle between the two men as Khan takes out 15 years of frustration on his nemesis. Montalbán chews scenery like it’s an Ikea showroom made out of prime steak, yet crucially never slips too far into the realms of pantomime. The veteran Mexican actor remains a terrifying, vengeful force of nature, rage personified, throughout.

At the end of each episode of the original series, there was usually the sense that the Enterprise could fully reset, with danger averted and normal duties resumed. By contrast, the events of Wrath of Khan are so horrific that they can never be forgotten, and the level of threat seems to have been suddenly upped to warp factor 9.9.

Walter Koenig’s Chekov, along with newcomer Clark Terrell (captain of the USS Reliant) are mind-controlled by Khan using hideous space slugs that are painfully, and bloodily lodged inside their ears! Spock dies of radiation poisoning trying to restart the Enterprise’s warp engine! Khan himself is left to die once again after being summarily outwitted by his supposed inferiors. Where The Motion Picture was mildly intriguing, Wrath of Khan represents blood-pumping, big screen shock tactics on an epic scale.

Thirty years later, Abrams tried to recapture its magic with an effective remake, Star Trek Into Darkness. But even with Benedict Cumberbatch as a younger version of Khan (who crucially never got marooned by Kirk in the new timeline, so was really just a boring, big-headed eugenics experiment in human form) most of the original’s bloodthirsty lust for life and death failed to re-manifest.

Into Darkness was once voted hardcore fans’ least favourite Star Trek movie , a nadir for anyone who loved the original series’ more intellectual, cosmic musings. Yet it was all based on a movie that had to destroy everything that went before it, everything that fans expected from a Star Trek episode, just to keep the Enterprise from crashing down to earth for ever.

• Week in geek
• Science fiction and fantasy films
• US television

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

'Star Trek': Benedict Cumberbatch playing Khan, or what?

Staff Editor

If you're a Star Trek fan of pretty much any stripe — a Trekkie, a Trekker, a Bonesy-come-lately fan of J.J. Abrams' high style 2009 reboot — then the last few weeks and months have likely included some heated debate over who exactly Benedict Cumberbatch is playing in next summer's Star Trek Into Darkness . From the moment he was cast as the ostensible villain in the film, the geekosphere has been humming over whether Benny Batch would be taking on the ne plus ultra of Trek Big Bads, Khan Noonien Singh. And pretty much from that same moment, J.J. Abrams, Paramount, and most everyone involved with the film have been disabusing fans of this notion. Except when they've been doing the opposite.

The Khan talk started in earnest before Cumberbatch had even been mentioned alongside the role, after it was first circled by Benicio Del Toro and then Edgar Ramirez — actors whose Latin accents better match the cadences of the man who first played Khan, the indomitable Ricardo Montalban. Even after the decidedly British Cumberbatch landed the officially unspecified role, however, the Khan talk kept going. But then earlier this year, Karl Urban, who plays Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy, gave UK outlet SFX a quote about Cumberbatch that has had hardcore Trek fans all Twitterpated ever since:

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

Appearing in one of the earliest episodes of the original Star Trek series — it was the show's second pilot, and its third episode to air — Gary Mitchell was an old Starfleet buddy of Kirk's whose interaction with something called the "Galactic Barrier" imbued him with nearly God-like abilities. If you want an epic-style Trek villain whose presence would roughly correlate to the timeline of the original series, you could scarcely do any better.

The notion that Cumberbatch is playing the nearly all-powerful Mitchell was only amplified by the release of Star Trek Into Darkness 's official synopsis , which spoke of "an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization," and "a one-man weapon of mass destruction." A Starfleet officer with the all-knowing power to destroy and create at will pretty well fills that description, no?

But then, last week, the first teaser trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness was released , and it only confused things even further. In it, Cumberbatch's character ominously proclaims that he has "returned" to have his "vengeance." Gary Mitchell hadn't ever really left Starfleet — in the episode, he's a crewmember of the Enterprise when he gets his powers — and he had no real agenda of revenge, just a serious God complex. Khan, on the other hand, was a genetically engineered ex-warlord exiled into space, so he'd have good reason to be pissed off once he got back to his home planet.

Still Cumberbatch's line is almost boilerplate bad guy talk; he could just be a different character altogether, perhaps someone not tied to Trek mythology, right? Indeed, the latest image from the film identifies Cumberbatch's character as "John Harrison," a name that means nothing to the Trek universe. But why then would the Japanese version of the teaser include an homage to an indelible climactic moment from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan ?

If you think this is just getting silly, I'm with you 100 percent — and we haven't even gotten to this week's developments. You ready for some deep dish grammar geekery? Here we go! First, when asked if he was playing Khan outright, Benny Batch himself told Access Hollywood that "I play a character called John and not that other name." The story's headline interprets Cumberbatch's words to mean that the actor made clear that he isn't playing Khan — in other words, when he said "and not that other name," he meant, "I'm playing John, and I'm not playing that other name." But Cumberbatch's words were anything but clear. They could easily be interpreted another way; when he said "and not that other name," he could have meant, "I'm playing a guy called John, and not called Khan." That's a fair shade different from saying the character outright isn't Khan. I could have people call me Captain Obnoxious, but that doesn't mean I'm still not Adam. ( Cumberbatch also reportedly spoke carefully about his character before a screening of the nine minute IMAX preview of Star Trek Into Darkness .) Watch the Access Hollywood exchange below:

How much fun are we all having with this?! Ready for some more!?

In a separate interview with Access Hollywood , Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine were asked to compare the villains from the 2009 Star Trek and next year's Star Trek Into Darkness . As TrekMovie.com first noticed , while referring to the baddie from the first film, Eric Bana's Nero, Quinto curiously said the word "Khan" instead before quickly correcting himself. He later calls Benny Batch's character "Harrison," so maybe he just has Khan on the brain? Watch below and decide for yourself:

The only thing close to a conclusion I can make about all of this is that nobody connected with the film is ready yet to make a definitive, unambiguous statement about whether Benedict Cumberbatch is, or is not, Khan Noonien Singh — and that is only making fans and fans masquerading as entertainment journalists talk about it even more.

Follow @adambvary

Geek Deep Dive: Writing the 'Star Trek' history book, 'Federation: The First 150 Years'

'Star Trek Into Darkness' teaser: Benedict Cumberbatch is out for vengeance — VIDEO

This post has been modified from its earlier version to include a link to a HuffPo story about Cumberbatch's character, and video of him, Quinto, and Pine.

Related Articles

'Star Trek: Khan' Finally Answers Why Benedict Cumberbatch Was So White In 'Darkness'

Way back in May, when it was finally revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch would be playing the villainous Khan Noonien Singh in " Star Trek Into Darkness ," fans cried foul.

The character was first played by Mexico-born Ricardo Montalban in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," as well as back on the original "Star Trek" TV show. Now, long after the cries of "whitewashing" have died down to a whimper, a new in-canon comic book released this week seeks to explain just how Khan went from Latino, to very, very Caucasian.

"Star Trek: Khan #1," released in comic-book stores Wednesday by IDW Comics, takes place right before the end of "Star Trek Into Darkness," specifically between the scene where Kirk wakes up in the hospital after "dying," and Cumberbatch's Khan is shown to be cryogenically re-frozen. The comic kicks off at the trial of Khan, with Starfleet officers showing off a picture of Montalban's Khan and asking why Cumberkhan "looks nothing like him." Khan then jumps into his backstory, in order to reveal the truth.

That's when Khan's ethnicity gets even more confusing, and writer Mike Johnson (along with "Star Trek" movie writer and story consultant on the comic Roberto Orci) pay homage not just to the movies and original series, but also Khan's original conception. In the original "Star Trek" TV series, Khan wasn't Caucasian or even Latino: He was from Northern India. In the comic, we learn that Noonien Singh was an orphan from the streets of India, kidnapped into a eugenics program and built into a super-smart super-strong super-human. By the end of the first issue of the comic, Khan has led his fellow eugenics-fueled orphans into a rebellion -- but he's still very obviously Indian in heritage.

How Khan's ethnicity will change from Indian to Latino to Caucasian is obviously a big question the series is going to answer -- though we're not sure how literally whitewashing an ethnic character is going to damp down any outcry.

That said, Johnson and company have been releasing some pretty excellent, in-continuity "Star Trek" comic books for the past few years, revamping old episodes of the original TV show, but filtered through the lens of the new movie crew. Johnson has already shown he has a handle on how to take potentially cheesy storylines (and sometimes downright antiquated one, like one involving Spock's mating rituals), and make them exciting and relevant for a modern audience. So, this comic certainly demands the benefit of the doubt.

The series is six issues long, so it might still be a while before we have any definitive answers about Khan's heritage, though we'll be sure to check back in with the series here at MTV News.

"Star Trek: Khan" continues monthly from IDW Publishing.

Latest News

POV VMA SUBMISSION FORM

MTV Video Music Awards Will Return to New Jersey for September Show

Scream’s Ghostface Accepts Best Movie And Best Fight: ‘Movies Don’t Create Psychos’

Anthony Ramos And Dominique Fishback Ramp Up The Tension In New 'Transformers' Clip

Joseph Quinn Acknowledges The Power Of 'Stranger Things' Fans

Ariel And Prince Eric's Romantic Night Ends With A Splash In New 'Little Mermaid' Clip

• Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award nominees
• Saturn Award nominees
• MTV Movie Award nominees

Benedict Cumberbatch

• View history

Cumberbatch is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective, Sherlock Holmes on the BBC drama program Sherlock , which premiered in 2010 and has as of 2017 thirteen episodes. Cumberbatch received a Britannia Award at the 2013 BAFTA/LA Britannia Awards as British Artist of the Year, honoring his work on Star Trek Into Darkness , 12 Years a Slave , The Fifth Estate , August: Osage County , and The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug . He received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and an MTV Movie Award nomination in the category Best Villain for his work on Into Darkness . [2] [3]

Cumberbatch is married to theater director Sophie Hunter and their sons, Christopher Carlton who was born on 12 June 2015, Hal Cumberbatch who was born on March 3rd 2017. And Finn Cumberbatch who was born on 11 January 2019. Cumberbatch was honored by Queen Elizabeth and named Commander of the Order of the British Empire. [4]

• 1 Early life and career
• 2 Film career (2007–present)
• 3 Upcoming projects
• 4 External links

Early life and career [ ]

Born in London, England, Cumberbatch is the son of actors Timothy Carlton and Wanda Ventham. Following education at Brambletye School in West Sussex, he received an arts scholarship to Harrow School, where he began performing in school plays. He made his acting debut at age 13, playing Titania, Queen of the Fairies, in a Harrow production of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream . He later studied drama at the University of Manchester and continued training as an actor at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Cumberbarch began his professional acting career on the stage in 2001 and made the transition to television and film a year later. He was lauded for his performance as Stephen Hawking in the 2004 BBC drama Hawking , which featured Alice Eve . He and Eve again appeared together in Starter for 10 (2006). Cumberbatch also gave a critically-acclaimed performance as William Pitt in Amazing Grace (2006). .

Film career (2007–present) [ ]

Cumberbatch has worked with two other actors who played villains in Star Trek films . He starred opposite Tom Hardy in the 2007 television movie Stuart: A Life Backwards ; both actors later appeared in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011). Cumberbatch also appeared with Eric Bana in The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

Cumberbatch's other film credits include Atonement (2007) and War Horse (2011). He also provided the voices and performance-captures of Smaug the dragon and the Necromancer in the three-part adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien 's The Hobbit , opposite his Sherlock co-star Martin Freeman . Cumberbatch began working on The Hobbit after starting filming on Star Trek Into Darkness : a body scan of Cumberbatch created for Star Trek was given to Weta Digital to make the motion capture mask he wore for his roles in The Hobbit . [5] The first film in the trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey , was released in 2012.

Five months after his appearance in Star Trek Into Darkness , Cumberbatch appeared on the cover of Time magazine. The shoot came about after photographer Paola Kudacki took her nephews to see the film, and one of them commented " He has such an interesting face. " [6]

In addition to Star Trek Into Darkness and The Desolation of Smaug , Cumberbatch appeared in several other high-profile films released in 2013. He was part of the ensemble cast of the film adaptation of Tracy Letts' play August: Osage County and had a principal role in 12 Years a Slave (2013, co-starring Alfre Woodard ). Cumberbatch also starred in The Fifth Estate (2013, with Star Trek: Deep Space Nine star Alexander Siddig ).

Cumberbatch provided the voices of actor Alan Rickman and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the Feb. 10, 2013 episode of The Simpsons titled "Love Is a Many Splintered Thing." He also produced and starred in a short film called Little Favour .

In 2014, Cumberbatch portrayed Alan Turing in The Imitation Game , and lent his voice to The Penguins of Madagascar as well as voicing Smaug for the final time in The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies .

In 2016, he played the lead role in Doctor Strange . He reprised the role in Thor: Ragnarok (2017, starring Chris Hemsworth and featuring Idris Elba and Karl Urban ), Avengers: Infinity War (2018, with Chris Hemsworth and Idris Elba, and Zoe Saldana ), {wt|Avengers: Endgame}} (2019, with Chris Hensworth, Idris Elba, and Zoe Saldana), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022, with Patrick Stewart and Anson Mount ).

He starred as Colonel Mackenzie in 2019's 1917 , Grenville Wynne in 2020's The Courier , Stuart Couch in 2021's The Mauritanian , Phill Burbank in 2021's Power of the Dog , and as Louis Whain in 2021's The Electrical Life of Louis Wain .

Upcoming projects [ ]

Cumberbatch is set to star as the titular character in director Wes Anderson 's next project, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar .

External links [ ]

• Benedict Cumberbatch at StarTrek.com
• Benedict Cumberbatch at the Internet Movie Database
• Benedict Cumberbatch at Wikipedia
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Dec 28, 2015

Cumberbatch: From Khan to Doctor Strange

Benedict Cumberbatch, who played Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness a couple of years back, will continue his ascent up the Hollywood food chain with Doctor Strange , the upcoming superhero movie in which he plays the titular surgeon-turned-Sorcerer Supreme/protector of Earth. The film actually just started production a few weeks ago, and shooting will carry on into the late winter, but Entertainment Weekly put Cumberbatch, in costume, on the cover of Jan. 8 issue.

Cumberbatch’s co-stars include Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Mads Mikkelsen. Doctor Strange will be released on November 4, 2016.

Get Updates By Email

Star Trek Theory: Benedict Cumberbatch's Villain Wasn't ACTUALLY Khan

A Star Trek fan theory posits that Benedict Cumberbatch's "Khan" could've been lying to protect the real villain's identity.

One of the most controversial aspects of 2013's Star Trek Into Darkness  was the reveal that the character previously identified as John Harrison, played by  Doctor Strange  actor Benedict Cumberbatch, was actually Khan Noonien Singh, one of Star Trek's   most iconic villains . Though he's meant to be South Asian, Khan was originally played by Latinx actor Ricardo Montalban in the  Star Trek episode "Space Seed" and the feature film  Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. The reveal that Cumberbatch was actually Khan drew accusations of whitewashing, but according to one  Reddit theory , despite what he says in the film, the character isn't actually Khan.

In Star Trek  lore, Khan is a genetically engineered superhuman from the late twentieth century who conquered most of Asia before being deposed and escaping the planet along with those still loyal to him on a ship called the Botany Bay. Centuries later, the ship, with Khan and his followers hibernating on board, is found by the U.S.S. Enterprise. However,  Star Trek   Into Darkness  takes place in one of several alternate timelines , and it's another Federation ship that discovers Khan's derelict spacecraft. After waking him from hibernation, the Federation forces Khan to work for them by using his still sleeping comrades as leverage until he eventually rebels.

RELATED: Star Trek: How Kirk Beat the Kobayashi Maru - BOTH Times

A deviation in the timeline, though, doesn't explain Khan's new appearance, since things didn't split until centuries after Khan went into space. The Reddit theory suggests that unlike in the original timeline, Khan wasn't awakened from hibernation when his ship was found; it was one of his followers. Citing  Batman Begins   as an example, this theory posits that Khan left instructions that whoever is woken up first will identify themselves as "Khan" as a way of protecting his identity. Cumberbatch's character displays all of the physical prowess of Khan since he is a fellow superhuman as well, but he's ultimately just a henchman acting on orders while the real Khan is still hibernating, completely unaware of the events of the film.

One thing that could support this theory is just how loyal Cumberbatch's character is to his still sleeping compatriots. While in the original timeline, it's shown that Khan and his men are fiercely loyal to each other, in  Into Darkness  Harrison's obsession with getting back to his fellow super-humans proves to be his Achilles Heel. If the man once called Harrison is just a follower of Khan, then the reason why he's so obsessed with saving his companions is that he's really just trying to rescue his leader, the real Khan.

RELATED: Star Trek: Is Section 31 Responsible for the Borg?

However, this theory though can seemingly be disproven by a  tie-in comic  released after the film. In the comic, after he is discovered by the Federation, Khan undergoes a procedure that completely changes his physical appearance in addition to wiping his memory. He's then given a new identity, "John Harrison," and sent to work for the Federation before eventually remembering his true identity and going rogue.

Even with this attempt to explain Khan's new appearance, the issue of casting a white actor as the character still generates discussion to this day. This theory being true would've done a small portion of the legwork required to right the wrong, but given that the comic disproves it,  Star Trek Into Darkness  will have to continue to be marred by controversy.

KEEP READING:  Star Trek: How a Classic TOS Episode Influenced The Purge

• Newsletters
• Account Activating this button will toggle the display of additional content Account Sign out

Star Trek Into Skull Trauma

Benedict Cumberbatch

Paramount Pictures

Phasers, photon torpedoes, and bat’leths: The weapons of Star Trek are as iconic as they are unused. The original series was meant to show the value of diplomacy, exploration, and peaceful progress . Weapons were a last resort. But when you’re staring down a vexed Vulcan or crazed Klingon, you have to defend yourself. May I suggest using genetically enhanced strength to crush your opponent’s skull?

Spoilers ahead.

Near the end of the latest Star Trek installment, the cunning villain Khan Noonien Singh—played brilliantly by Benedict Cumberbatch—betrays his temporary allies to exact revenge on an old foe. Grabbing the Admiral Marcus’ skull with his bare hands, Khan compresses it with his genetically engineered might until the skull fails catastrophically (which is a nice way of saying the head exploded like a pumpkin with a firecracker in it, thankfully off-screen).  

Trekkie criticism of Star Trek Into Darkness ’ story and its interaction with canon has been voluminous . But I found that the movie decently followed physics. There are some tidbits here and there that I might have changed, but overall I don’t think too much disbelief needed suspension.

What about Khan’s skull-crushing capabilities, though? He later attempts the same technique on Spock, so clearly Khan has some practice. What would it take to crush a human skull with your bare hands like Khan?

As you can probably guess, an ethical skull-crushing experiment would be difficult to devise; the subject is not terribly well studied. But there is an analog we can use to estimate the forces required: helmet research. To neutralize incoming dangers to your noggin, scientists first have to know what it takes to damage it. When testing bicycle helmets, for example, one way to figure out the cranium-crushing limit is to take the skulls of the dead and smash them against stuff. And that’s exactly what scientists have done.

Late last year, a study published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics used cadaver skulls outfitted with children’s bicycle helmets to test how the helmets resisted smashing and crushing injuries. How the helmets performed is interesting in its own right, but what we want to know is how the controls—the human skulls with no helmets—handled the testing.

The researchers soaked cadaver skulls in water for a day to approximate the squishy environment of the human body, and filled them with four pounds of BBs to get the weight right. Then, like Khan, they subjected the analog skulls to a compression test—using a diabolic pneumatic air cylinder and a steel plate, instead of their bare hands.

The result? “Catastrophic failure [of the unhelmeted skull] during testing…experiencing a maximum load of 520 pounds of force.”

So without actually popping any head balloons, we have an upper limit on skull strength. If Khan could press past this limit, he would be quite the foe indeed. 

Looking to NASA , the Air Force , and even to the MythBusters , all the data that I could find points to an average static push strength of a medium-sized white male of a little over 200 pounds of force (or nearly 1000 Newtons).* This is less than half of the required force to crush a human skull analog according to the bicycle helmet study. Unless you are a genetically engineered warrior, it looks like the only head manipulation you should try is a Vulcan mind-meld.

But Khan Noonien Singh is better… at everything. He is faster, smarter, and stronger. He can easily survive a flurry of punches from Kirk after dispatching an entire Klingon patrol single-handedly. Given these superhuman qualities, it’s safe to assume that Khan could double the compressive force of the average man. He could probably crush your skull—but I wouldn’t suggest trying to turn the tables.

Unless you are the world’s strongest man, or a dangerous product of a eugenics war, you won’t be pulling off a Khan skull crush . At least you will know what to scream if Khan ever comes for you.

* Both NASA and the Air Force collected data on how hard subjects could push with two hands against a force plate. (The MythBusters tested how hard you can press your hands together.) I figure that if you could turn this pressing force inward, as you would while attempting to crush a skull, these numbers would be fair approximations.

Read more in Slate about Star Trek.

40 years later, Star Trek will finally solve a classic Khan mystery

What happened on Ceti Alpha V after the Enterprise left?

Khan is back! After several years of speculation and rumor , a prequel series all about the Star Trek villain's exile on Ceti Alpha V is finally happening. But the format might not be what fans expected. Here’s what to know about what to expect from the Wrath of Khan prequel series, and how it's poised to answer a burning Trekkie question four decades in the making.

On Star Trek Day 2022, Nicholas Meyer — director of The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country , and consulting producer on Discovery Season 1 — made a surprise announcement: The infamous Star Trek supervillain Khan Noonien Singh will finally get his own series. But it will happen in the form of a limited-run scripted podcast.

According to Paramount:

“The scripted podcast will examine what happened in the years after Captain Kirk left Khan on the untamed world of Ceti Alpha V and tells the story of Khan and his followers prior to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. ”

What does this all mean? Let’s dive in.

Khan: Ceti Alpha V timeline, explained

In between the Star Trek episode “Space Seed,” and the return of Khan in The Wrath of Khan , 18 years pass. So in theory, the new Khan series will explore the time between 2267 and 2285. The large question the series will answer is: what exactly happened during that time ?

But that question also leads to several other smaller questions fans have had for years. Such as:

• When did Khan’s wife pass away?
• Where did his younger followers come from?
• Why didn’t Starfleet send another ship to check on Khan?
• How could the Reliant have confused Ceti Alpha VI for Ceti Alpha V?
• How did Khan get that sweet necklace? (Okay maybe this question doesn’t need to be answered.)

Nicholas Meyer onstage for “Star Trek Day,” announcing Star Trek: Khan.

Star Trek: Khan , explained

According to Paramount, the series will be produced by Alex Kurtzman, Aaron Baiers, Trevor Roth, and Rod Roddenberry . However, sole writing credit seems to be going to Nicholas Meyer, the visionary behind The Wrath of Khan . Back when rumors of a Khan miniseries first started circulating in 2017, Meyer wrote to Inverse jokingly saying “I khannot possibly comment” on the existence of the concept, which pretty much confirmed it was in development. But now, what’s great is that it seems that Meyer will get to write what is basically a radio play entirely on his own.

As Star Trek producer Alex Kurtzman put it:

“Nick made the definitive ‘Trek’ movie when he made ‘Wrath,’ and we’ve all been standing in its shadow since. Forty years have offered him a lot of perspective on these extraordinary characters and the way they’ve impacted generations of fans. Now he’s come up with something as surprising, gripping and emotional as the original, and it’s a real honor to be able to let him tell the next chapter in this story exactly the way he wants to.”

Star Trek has never done this before. An in-canon scripted podcast is officially a new venture for the franchise. Although the official Trek podcast, The Pod Directive — hosted by Tawny Newsome and Paul F. Tompkins — has been around since 2020, a scripted fictional podcast is bold new territory for the final frontier.

Do we know the Star Trek: Khan release date and cast?

Khan in “Space Seed.”

So, when do we get to hear Khaaaaaan? Well, right now, there’s no release date. The Pod Directive will return in early 2023, but we’re just going to have to wait a little longer for Khan . There’s also no voice cast, yet. Ricardo Montalbán, who played Khan in “Space Seed” and The Wrath , passed away in 2009. Benedict Cumberbatch played the alternate Khan in 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness , but it feels unlikely he’d voice the character for this project.

At this point, we don’t know. But when it comes to Khan, Trek fans can wait. It’s already been 40 years. What’s a few more months?

This article was originally published on Sep. 8, 2022

• Science Fiction

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• The Fall Guy Link to The Fall Guy
• I Saw the TV Glow Link to I Saw the TV Glow

New TV Tonight

• Doctor Who: Season 1
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• The Chi: Season 6
• Reginald the Vampire: Season 2
• Bodkin: Season 1
• Blood of Zeus: Season 2
• Black Twitter: A People's History: Season 1
• Pretty Little Liars: Summer School: Season 2
• Hollywood Con Queen: Season 1
• Love Undercover: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• A Man in Full: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• The Sympathizer: Season 1
• The Veil: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• Them: Season 2
• Dead Boy Detectives: Season 1
• The Asunta Case: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Hacks: Season 3 Link to Hacks: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Planet of the Apes In Order: How to Watch the Movies Chronologically

Planet of the Apes Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes First Reviews: A Thoughtful, Visually Stunning, Action-Packed Triumph

Furiosa First Reactions: Brutal, Masterful, and Absolutely Epic

• Trending on RT
• Furiosa First Reactions
• Streaming in May
• Best Asian-American Movies
• Planet of the Apes First Reviews

Star Trek Into Darkness

Where to watch.

Watch Star Trek Into Darkness with a subscription on Apple TV+, Paramount+, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

Visually spectacular and suitably action packed, Star Trek Into Darkness is a rock-solid installment in the venerable sci-fi franchise, even if it's not as fresh as its predecessor.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

J.J. Abrams

Capt. James T. Kirk

Zachary Quinto

Dr. Leonard McCoy

Zoe Saldana

Nyota Uhura

Anton Yelchin

Pavel Chekov

Movie Clips

More like this, movie news & guides, this movie is featured in the following articles..

Benedict Cumberbatch Claims He's Not Playing Khan in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

In a recent interview, Benedict Cumberbatch says he's playing John Harrison and not the heavily-speculated role of Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness.

When it comes to Star Trek Into Darkness , the policy is to avoid the truth about the plot.  When asked about the plot, play coy.  If playing coy doesn't work, obfuscate.  And if obfuscation doesn't work, then I imagine outright lying is on the table.  We saw it before when Marion Cotillard said she wasn't playing a bad guy in The Dark Knight Rises .  I understand filmmakers want to preserve a sense of mystery in the spoiler-heavy world of online movie news, but it's difficult to believe that Benedict Cumberbatch is just playing a guy named "John Harrison" and not Khan.  But that's what Cumberbatch said in a recent interview, commenting: "I play a character called John and not that other name.  It's interesting. Speculation is speculation and that’s all fun."Hey, it's the engine that runs news on blockbuster movies.  Hit the jump for more.  Star Trek Into Darkness opens in 3D on May 17, 2013. Speaking to Access Hollywood , Cumberbatch had this to say about his character:

“I play John Harrison who’s a terrorist and an extraordinary character in his own right,” the Brit said. “He’s somebody who is not your two-dimensional cookie cutter villain. He’s got an extraordinary purpose, and I hope that at one point or other in the film you might even sympathize with the reasons he’s doing what he’s doing — not necessarily the means and the destruction he causes. But it was a great ride, not just because he’s the bad guy and the antagonist but also because he has a purpose and it’s hard not to see his point of view at certain points.”

So it's the sympathetic villain that actors are always eager to play.  Then again, Nero was supposed to be a "sympathetic villain" (his planet was destroyed!), but no one cared.  But the first Star Trek was more about establishing the crew of the Enterprise than the villain.  Now that the crew is set up, the antagonist will likely get more screen time.

• Rent or buy
• Categories Categories
• Getting Started

Star Trek Into Darkness (4K UHD)

Shop 'Star Trek' apparel, collectibles, home goods, and more.

Customers also watched.

Cast and Crew

Other formats

45743 global ratings

How are ratings calculated? Toggle Expand Toggle Expand

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Benedict Cumberbatch Insists He's Not Khan In Star Trek Into Darkness

Earlier this week Paramount released an image from Star Trek Into Darkness that seemed to finally clear up what was one of its biggest mysteries: who, exactly, is Benedict Cumberbatch playing? The photo caption identified him as John Harrison, a character totally new to the Trek universe, which seemed to belie what had been near-constant rumors that Cumberbatch's villain character was, in fact, Khan.

Khan. You remember him from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , right? Maybe the best Star Trek movie ever on film, and certainly a gold standard for sequels? J.J. Abrams and company would probably be crazy to attempt to bring back a character as iconic as Khan, but the rumors have hounded them anyway… to the point that plenty of people are assuming John Harrison is an alias, and Cumberbatch will eventually reveal himself as Khan anyway.

Turns out, Cumberbatch himself has heard the rumors, and talking to Access Hollywood he took one more opportunity to explain his non-Khan character:

“I play a character called John and not that other name.It’s interesting. Speculation is speculation and that’s all fun.“I play John Harrison who’s a terrorist and an extraordinary character in his own right. He’s somebody who is not your two-dimensional cookie cutter villain. He’s got an extraordinary purpose, and I hope that at one point or other in the film you might even sympathize with the reasons he’s doing what he’s doing — not necessarily the means and the destruction he causes. But it was a great ride, not just because he’s the bad guy and the antagonist but also because he has a purpose and it’s hard not to see his point of view at certain points.”

Of course, Star Trek fans can look to parts of that description-- "an extraordinary purpose" and "you might even sympathize with the reasons he's doing what he's doing"-- and realize those apply perfectly well to Khan anyway.

But this gets into what I was just ranting about regarding Batman and Superman: if Cumberbatch really is playing Khan, do you want to know? Clearly Abrams and Paramount want you to think he's playing a guy named John Harrison, and isn't it more fun to accept that at face value and be surprised if the twist arrives? Sure, some people want to be constantly savvy and claim they knew it all along… but I will totally embrace a surprise if it comes. So while you all try to parse if Cumberbatch is lying, I'm going to look forward to meeting this mysterious John Harrison-- and if he's got some surprises up his sleeve, all the better.

CINEMABLEND NEWSLETTER

Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News

Staff Writer at CinemaBlend

Sydney Sweeney Just Signed On To Get Ripped For A Boxing Biopic After Anyone But You And Immaculate Successes, And I'm Totally Here For It

Zendaya Admits She’s Gotten ‘Actual Scars’ From Filming Euphoria And Challengers

Eiza González's 4 Best Roles So Far, And 3 Movies I'm Excited To See Her In Next

Most Popular

• 2 After FBI: International Dropped A Devastating Reveal On Smitty Before Another Cast Change, Eva-Jane Willis Shared Why It Was 'Like Christmas'
• 3 Blood Of Zeus' Elias Toufexis Explains Season 2’s Long Delay And What Fans Need To Do To Ensure Season 3 Arrives Faster
• 4 As Chicago Med's Goodwin Has A Tough Decision To Make, How Worried Should We Be About Her Health Ahead Of The Finale?
• 5 NCIS: Origins Has Cast Two New Characters, And I'm Looking Forward To Seeing Their Dynamics With Austin Stowell's Gibbs

William Shatner As Captain Kirk Is Why Quentin Tarantino Likes Star Trek

• Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie idea was inspired by his love for William Shatner's portrayal of Captain James T. Kirk.
• Tarantino's film would have involved time travel to 1920s Chicago, ignoring J.J. Abrams' alternate Kelvin timeline in the newer Star Trek films.
• J.J. Abrams' admitted "nobody likes the Kelvin timeline" to Quentin Tarantino, which could be a factor in the delay of Star Trek 4.

William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk is the reason why director Quentin Tarantino likes Star Trek . Tarantino grew up as a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series , which originally aired on NBC from 1966-1969 - an era the Academy Award-winning writer and director immortalized in his 2019 film Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood . Tarantino's Star Trek fandom led to his developing his own Star Trek movie , although that project didn't move forward.

Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie would have been based on the Star Trek: The Original Series season 2 episode, "A Piece of the Action", where Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Starship Enterprise beamed down to a planet with a culture based on 1920s gangsters. Tarantino's Star Trek would have involved time travel , however, with Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his USS Enterprise crew actually voyaging to Chicago of that era. As intriguing as Quentin Tarantino's "hard-R" Star Trek movie might have been, the director changed his mind about making it and moved on.

Quentin Tarantino recently changed his mind about The Movie Critic as his tenth and possibly final film as a director, and he's working on a different idea.

Star Trek: The Original Series Cast & Character Guide

William shatner is why quentin tarantino likes star trek, it all boils down to james t. kirk for quentin tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino appeared as a guest on Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2019 to promote Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood . Host Joshua Horowitz, who is also a lifelong Star Trek fan, veered the conversation to Tarantino's Star Trek movie idea, and the director revealed that the source of his Star Trek fandom boils down to William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk . Read his quote below:

Somebody asked me, What is it about Star Trek that you like? Easy. William Shatner. I love William Shatner as James T. Kirk. Thats why I like Star Trek. The reason I like Star Trek more than Star Wars is William Shatner isnt in Star Wars. William Shatner especially as - well, I actually like William Shatner in almost everything - but William Shatner as James T. Kirk is that is my connection. That is why I like it.

Quentin Tarantino also said the reason he enjoyed J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) movie so much is because, "I thought Chris Pine did a fantastic job not just playing Captain Kirk, but playing William Shatner’s Captain [Kirk]. He is William Shatner. He’s not just another guy, he’s William Shatner’s Captain Kirk." Tarantino also praised Zachary Quinto's performance as Spock and the whole cast embodying the iconic characters from Star Trek: The Original Series . But Quentin made it clear that his 'in' for Star Trek is William Shatner's Captain James T. Kirk .

It's safe to say Kirk epitomizes what a Star Trek Captain should be to Tarantino.

Quentin Tarantino's love of William Shatner's James T. Kirk is no surprise as the director grew up with a fascination of 1960s and 1970s film and television. Star Trek only grew in popularity after it was canceled by NBC and moved to syndication, and that first generation of Star Trek fans, counting Tarantino among them, idolized Shatner's heroic and iconic portrayal of Captain Kirk . Quentin's appreciation of Shatner's acting talent extends to his other roles, but it's safe to say Kirk epitomizes what a Star Trek Captain should be to Tarantino.

Listen to Quentin Tarantino on Happy Sad Confused podcast below:

Quentin Tarantino Didnt Understand Star Trek Movies Kelvin Timeline & Neither Does J.J. Abrams

Tarantino's star trek movie would have ignored the kelvin timeline.

Quentin Tarantino also lashed out against the alternate Kelvin timeline in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies on Happy Sad Confused podcast. Abrams' Star Trek films are set in a parallel reality which allowed his reboot to rewrite Star Trek history going forward. This included an encounter with Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness that occurred years earlier than it does in Star Trek: The Original Series . However, the concept of an alternate timeline eluded Tarantino , as he complained to Joshua Horowitz in his quote below:

I still don't quite understand, and J.J. can't explain it to me, and my editor has tried to explain it to me and I still don't get it... About something happened in the first movie that now kind of wiped the slate clean. I don't buy that. I don't like it. I don't appreciate it. I don't... F** that... I want the whole series to have happened, it just hasn't happened yet. No, Benedict Cumberbatch or whatever his name is not Khan, all right? Khan is Khan. And I told JJ, like, 'I don't understand this. I don't like it.' And then he was like, 'Ignore it! Nobody likes it. I don't understand it. Just do whatever you want. If you want it to happen the exact way it happens on the series it can.'

Quentin Tarantino didn't quite grasp that J.J. Abrams' alternate Kelvin timeline means that everything that Star Trek: The Original Series still happens in its original reality , and Abrams' movies are set in a separate Star Trek universe with the same characters living different lives. Tarantino revealed that if he'd made his Star Trek movie, he would have ignored the Kelvin timeline and treated his movie as if it was happening in Star Trek' s Prime universe as an ersatz prequel to Star Trek: The Original Series.

Quentin Tarantino is right that Benedict Cumberbatch was miscast as Khan since his Khan is the same character as played by the late Ricardo Montalbn.

J.J. Abrams admitting to Quentin Tarantino that even he doesn't understand the alternate Kelvin timeline and that "nobody likes it" is amusing. It could also represent one of the reasons why it's been so difficult to get Star Trek 4 off the ground. Abrams' Kelvin Timeline conceit now seems to be more of a burden than a benefit, especially since Star Trek 's original universe is thriving in Paramount+'s various Star Trek TV series. But if Star Trek 4 does happen, as long as Chris Pine continues to evoke William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk , it sounds like Quentin Tarantino will enjoy Pine's performance.

Source: Happy Said Confused podcast

Star Trek: The Original Series is streaming on Paramount+

Cast Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig, William Shatner, George Takei, Leonard Nimoy, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan

Network NBC

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Gene Roddenberry

Showrunner Gene Roddenberry

Where To Watch Paramount+

Star Trek’s J.J. Abrams Advised Chris Pine to Be ‘Less Shatner’ While Portraying James T. Kirk

Chris Pine reflects on playing James T. Kirk in the latest Star Trek movies, and the actor acknowledges those wonderful "Shatnerisms."

• J.J. Abrams advised Chris Pine to embody "less Shatner" when portraying James T. Kirk in the big-screen reboot of Star Trek.
• Pine starred as Captain Kirk in all three reboot films; he says the franchise feels "cursed."
• A new Star Trek movie is part of Paramount's "intent," according to Roddenberry Entertainment's C.O.O.

“Less Shatner.” Those two little words encompassed the advice filmmaker J.J. Abrams had for Chris Pine when the two collaborated on the big-screen reboot of the Star Trek franchise, which began in 2009. Pine was tasked with picking up the enormous mantle of the iconic character, James T. Kirk, who was portrayed brilliantly by William Shatner from 1966 until 1994. Pine said in an interview during his appearance on the Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me podcast:

“I think the biggest correction that J.J. [Abrams] ever had for me was ‘less Shatner.’ Because it’s so deliciously fun. I mean, anything from how he sits in the chair to how he does a double take. There are many… the Shatnerisms are long and deep, and they’re beautiful. They’re beautifully crafted.”

*Availability in US

Not available

Pine starred as James T. Kirk in all three of the reboot films, which began with Star Trek (2009) and was followed up by the sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond . Abrams directed the first two movies, but he turned the director’s chair over to Justin Lin for the third installment. And nearly eight years have passed since Star Trek Beyond , and Star Trek 4 has still yet to warp speed into movie theaters.

Chris Pine Believes the Star Trek Franchise Is 'Cursed'

While J.J Abrams’ 2009 reboot certainly isn’t the best of the Star Trek films, both critics and audiences alike enjoyed the U.S.S. Enterprise’s encounter with the rogue Romulan Nero (Eric Bana), which featured the return of Leonard Nimoy as the original Mr. Spock. Abrams’ new vision of the sci-fi phenomenon also made $385.7 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo ). So, a sequel was inevitable. And in the summer of 2013, Kirk and crew faced off against Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness .

Star Trek Into Darkness made even more money ($467.4 million) than Star Trek (2009) did globally, but 2016’s Star Trek Beyond didn’t fare as well as its predecessors ($343.5 million), and the reboot series has been in limbo ever since. Co-star Zoe Saldaña (Lt. Uhura) still has hope that Star Trek 4 will come to fruition. But when it comes to the Star Trek franchise, Pine “feels like it’s cursed,” according to an interview he did with Esquire in 2023.

Star Trek 4: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

In March of this year, the C.O.O./President of Development for Roddenberry Entertainment, Trevor Roth, said “there is a plan” for a new Star Trek movie. Roth elaborated on the possibility in the same interview conducted at the SXSW film festival:

“I am not able to say much, but I can say that it is Paramount's intent to figure out the Star Trek side of movies and what's going on there. There's every intent of a new movie coming out in the very near future. There's a lot of secrecy around what's going to happen there. But there is a plan getting into place. And we're very excited to see it return to the big screen.”

Most recently, Pine wrote and directed his first feature film, Poolman. Pine also stars alongside Danny DeVito in the comedic mystery, which opens exclusively in theaters on May 10. And fans can watch the Poolman trailer right now.

Screen Rant

Disney knowingly sacrificed box office to cast benedict cumberbatch as doctor strange, director explains tough decision.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Christian Bale Already Revealed His 1 Condition To Return For The Dark Knight 4

X-men '97 just answered the worst thing wolverine can survive, 10 most disappointing villain introductions in the mcu.

• Doctor Strange director Scott Derrickson explains that Marvel delayed Doctor Strange in order to cast Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role over Joaquin Phoenix.
• Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige, Disney CEO Bob Iger, and Disney chairman Alan Horn accepted Derrickson's request and moved Doctor Strange 's from a summer to a fall release date.
• Scott Derrickson's decision paid off, and now Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange is one of the MCU's main stars.

Director Scott Derrickson reveals that Marvel Studios sacrificed a key release window in order to cast Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange 's lead role. Benedict Cumberbatch is now synonymous with Marvel's most famous sorcerer, having appeared in Doctor Strange's six MCU movies and maintaining a key role in the Marvel multiverse's overarching story. However, Cumberbatch's MCU casting almost didn't happen, and it was the director's faith in the actor that allowed Strange to be the Avenger that fans know and love today.

In an exclusive interview with SlashFilm , director Scott Derrickson explains that even though Joker star Joaquin Phoenix was in talks for Doctor Strange 's lead role , he knew that Benedict Cumberbatch had to be the final choice. However, Cumberbatch's schedule didn't align with Marvel Studios' planned summer 2016 release date for the movie. According to Scott Derrickson, the director went directly to Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige and asked him to delay the film, to which Feige accepted and collaborated with Disney CEO Bob Iger and Disney chairman Alan Horn to postpone Doctor Strange . Read Derrickson's comments below:

"So after giving [Joaquin Phoenix's casting] a shot — we didn't have a script, either. Keep that in mind. I think what he was very nervous about was he'd be committing to multiple movies, which is not the kind of thing he's ever done. I just went back to Kevin [Feige] and I just said, 'We have to move the date because it's got to be Benedict.' Kevin went to Bob Iger and Alan Horn, and told them what I said. To their credit, they moved the date and it became a fall movie."

Doctor Strange's Box Office Compared To Other MCU Origin Story Movies

Doctor strange earned $677.8 million at the global box office.

Scott Derrickson's insistence in casting Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange more than paid off , as the actor has become one of the MCU's main stars. Doctor Strange has starred in two solo movies and played a central role in franchise-wide events such as Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame . Although Marvel Studios moved Doctor Strange 's release date from summer to fall 2016, the sorcerer's origin movie succeeded at the box office, reaching a worldwide total of approximately $676,343 (per TheNumbers ).

As of 2024, Doctor Strange is the fifth highest-grossing MCU origin movie, almost $100 million below Guardians of the Galaxy and around $90 million above Iron Man . Doctor Strange stands above each installment of the whole Ant-Man trilogy and each installment of the MCU's Phase 1 except for The Avengers . Stephen Strange's origin movie also surpasses Thor: The Dark World 's worldwide box office by $32 million and falls behind the acclaimed Captain America: The Winter Soldier by $38 million. Doctor Strange 's sequel, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness , earned $952,224,000 six years later.

While Doctor Strange could have gotten bigger numbers had Marvel Studios released it in the summer, its delay was ultimately the better decision. Benedict Cumberbatch has been more than eager to make appearances in multiple MCU movies as the lead, in supporting roles, and in a brief cameo. Joaquin Phoenix likely wouldn't have accepted a similar deal, as the Joker sequel Joker: Folie à Deux and its sequel might be the furthest the actor will reprise the same character, as suggested by his hesitance to a long-term contract with Marvel.

Source: SlashFilm , TheNumbers

Doctor Strange

*Availability in US

Not available

• Doctor Strange (2016)
• Marvel Cinematic Universe

site categories

Peter weir to receive venice film festival’s golden lion for lifetime achievement, ‘eric’ trailer: benedict cumberbatch is a desperate father searching for his son in netflix drama series — update.

By Jesse Whittock

Jesse Whittock

International TV Co-Editor

More Stories By Jesse

• ‘The Assembly’, Groundbreaking Interview Format That Sent Michael Sheen Viral, Set For Australian Remake
• Horror Pics ‘Brute 1976’ & ‘Garden Of Eden’ Descend On Cannes Market; Raven Banner To Shop
• German TV Presenter Dons Gloves For Rematch With Female Boxing Champion Who Broke His Nose

UPDATED, May 2 : Netflix has released the official trailer for Eric, Abi Morgan ‘s drama series starring Benedict Cumberbatch , ahead of its May 30 premiere. You can watch it above and read details of the series below.

PREVIOUS, March 22: Eric is coming to Netflix in late May.

Related Stories

'The Witcher' Fans Need To Go Easy On Liam Hemsworth, Says Costar Freya Allen

Netflix and The Blackhouse Foundation Partner On Nonfiction Producing Fellowship 

The six-part series from The Split writer Morgan was first unveiled as part of a five-strong Netflix UK drama slate that also included the recent One Day adaptation and Rahman’s London superhero series Supacell , which is slated to launch in June.

The emotional thriller follows puppeteer and children’s TV creator Vincent (Cumberbatch), who struggles to cope after his nine-year-old son, Edgar (Howe), disappears one morning on the way to school. Full of self-loathing and guilt around Edgar’s disappearance, he clings to his son’s drawings of a blue monster puppet, Eric, convinced that if he can get the character on TV his son will come home. As Vincent’s progressively destructive behavior alienates his family, his work colleagues and the detectives trying to help him, it’s Eric, a delusion of necessity, who becomes his only ally in the pursuit to bring his son home. 

Exec producers on Eric are Morgan, Cumberbatch, Jane Featherstone, Lucy Dyke and Lucy Forbes, the latter of whom is also director. Holly Pullinger is the producer, and filming took place in New York and Budapest.

Must Read Stories

Audiovisual branch of major french union throws weight behind planned strike.

Sony Apollo Par Merger Will Maintain Theatrical Output, Shed TV & Streaming

New greg daniels & michael koman ‘the office’ series ordered at peacock, disney & wb discovery team on milestone disney+/hulu/max bundle.

Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.

Read More About:

No comments.

Deadline is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Deadline Hollywood, LLC. All Rights Reserved.