14 Cinematic Questions We Demand To Have Answered in 2013

8. Can Cumberbatch Out-Khan Khan?

The decision to cast Sherlock Holmes lead Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain in the upcoming (horribly named) Star Trek Into Darkness was an inspired one: from his earliest roles, Cumberbatch has exhibited the kind of theatrical poise and screen presence that made him an ideal choice for both relatable heroes and detached anti-heroes and villains.

In Star Trek he will follow in the grand footsteps of the various, innumerable British thespians who have turned to the dark side for Hollywood, though we can have every confidence that his performance will be less Malcolm McDowell and more Gary Oldman, with his typically fierce energy replacing any flamboyance that other actors might have brought to the role.

But will he do enough to steal focus away from arguably the most recognisable of Star Trek villains? Will Cumberbatch's John Harrison offer enough to relegate Khan back to the annals of time? Past form would suggest it's a possibility, and it is that chance that makes Star Trek Into Darkness such an essential project.