It was reported last week by Variety that actor Idris Elba is in talks to portray a villain in the upcoming film "Star Trek 3" and that there is a very high probability he would be a Klingon. However, during an interview with Absolute Radio, actor and co-writer Simon Pegg denied the latter.
"That's not true. No, no, no. I heard there's a rumor he's been spoken to about stuff, so he may be in the film but he won't be a Klingon," he stated. He then laughs before teasing the fans with, "Or maybe he will!"
The statement gives hope that Elba may be in the film but it isn't a firm confirmation either. According to Film Divider, a rumor is spreading that Bryan Cranston is also in talks for the lead antagonist role.
Back in 2013, Pegg bluntly denied that Benedict Cumberbatch was playing the villain Khan in "Star Trek Into Darkness" but this turned out to be true. Director J.J. Abrams is known to keep secrets close to his chest and despite not being the director for the third installment, it appears that his level of secrecy is being kept.
Speculations about Elba portraying a Klingon villain make sense for fans of the movies. In "Star Trek Into Darkness," a war was initiated between the Federation and the Klingon Empire due to the events launched by Khan and Fleet Admiral Alexander Marcus.
Pegg, who played the lead engineer in the 2009 "Star Trek" and its sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness," has taken on the duties of penning the third film's screenplay, sharing the writing duties with Doug Jung. Justin Lin is attached to direct the film, now that Roberto Orci is no longer involved with the project.
"Star Trek" is expected to hit theaters on July 8, 2016.
