Was Benedict Cumberbatch originally going to play a different villain in Star Trek Into Darkness?
Ryan looks at the clues…
NB: The following contains spoilers forStar Trek Into Darkness.
Clearly, fans realized, it was a cover for something far more dramatic.
Wasnt it more likely that Cumberbatch was actually lined up to play a recognizable character from theStar Trekcanon?
With hindsight, there were actually clues buried inStar Trekhistory for those with sharp enough eyes.
And that was a mistake, because the audience was like, we know hes playing Khan.
Even the casting process forStar Trek Into Darknessvillain seemed a bit murky.
Before Cumberbatch was given the part, Benicio Del Toro was in talks to play the then-unnamed villain.
When those talks fell through, other actors considered included Edgar Ramirez and Jordi Molla.
Its here that an intriguing question arises.
While the evidence supporting this theory is only circumstantial, there are at least a few tantalizing clues.
Speaking toTotal Film,however, Orci said that that Well be working and tweaking that story through shooting.
This time we dont have a strike, so well actually be able to change things on set.
Or alternately, that her role changed after she was cast?
Was it simply to throw fans off the scent?
If there was, it provided something of a quandary forStar Trek Into Darkness makers.
The story sees the Enterprise investigate a distress signal in an unknown part of space.
While Dehner seems unchanged, Mitchells eyes have turned silver.
The existing themes of loyalty and friendship would also have been strengthened by having Cumberbatch play Mitchell.
There was one thing counting against the inclusion of Gary Mitchell, at least from Paramounts perspective: recognition.
Other references to the classic episode are left inStar Trek Into Darknessscript but rewritten.
That opening sequence on the planet Nibiru?
The poison darts they threw?
I took one of them for you.
A couple of other plot points from the TV episode remain in modified form.
Again, this is conjecture on my part.
At the very least, Cumberbatch wouldve looked amazing with silver contact lenses.
This article originally appeared onDen of Geek UK.
