Of course, some rumblings from Pegg seem to suggest that while the source material is something that's being honoured and referenced, it's not something they'll necessarily look to use. Which means that everything about Trek 3, from the story to the setting, right down to whatever name might appear next to Idris Elba on IMDB, is completely open for artistic license. Call it a peril of alternative timelines or simply a smart storytelling device, but as the writing team currently sit with their pencil's hovering over their papers they could conceivably come up with anything. This is potentially a good thing when it comes to Elba though, as Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Khan was perpetually hamstrung over a need to do an iconic performance of the past the sort of justice it deserved. He acquitted himself brilliantly in the role, but Khan as a concept didn't really work in the Abramsverse. So where could they go? Well, a new Klingon character is where the smart money is, with Elba likely to either be Kirk's direct counterpart in the Empire, or possibly even the leader itself. Elsewhere there could be a return to the Romulans, or Elba could portray yet another shadowy aspect of Starfleet. Who knows, they might just invent and entirely new species altogether, giving Elba the total freedom to portray a villain the way he wanted to do it. Who do you think the writer's are lining up Elba to play? Let us know in the comments.
WhatCulture's Managing Editor and Chief Reporter | Previously seen in Vice, Esquire, FourFourTwo, Sabotage Times, Loaded, The Set Pieces, and Mundial Magazine
