Mere days after the interwebs ran rampant with speculation as to whether Benicio Del Toro would be playing Khan in J.J. Abramsâ sequel 2009âs Star Trek, the actor has dropped out of the film altogether. The actor entered negotiations to play the filmâs villain earlier this month, followed by rumors that he would be taking on the role of Khan in the sci-fi follow up. Hit the jump for more, including more fuel for the Khan rumor mill.Vulture reports that talks with Del Toro broke down last Wednesday over monetary issues, leaving Abrams scrambling to find a replacement before the filmâs January production start-date. I thought Del Toro was a fantastic choice for the follow-upâs baddie, and itâs more than a little disappointing to hear that things couldnât be worked out.While the internet was sent into a frenzy late last week over a report stating that Abrams and Co. had indeed settled on Khan as the filmâs villain, the director himself responded with a curt ânot trueâ. However, Vultureâs report states that theyâve heard from a highly placed source that Khan really is the villain (this is getting ridiculous). They point to Zack Snyderâs initial denial that General Zod was the villain in his Superman reboot Man of Steel, and say that Abrams is likely trying to throw fanboys off track.At this point, the production is turning into the worldâs biggest game of telephone. Iâm inclined to take Abramsâ word for it regarding the Khan rumors, but I guess I wouldnât be all that surprised if Khan was indeed the villain and he was just trying to keep things in the mystery box for a little while longer. The larger issue at stake here is the fact that no villain has been cast and filming starts in a little over two months. Iâm hoping Abrams goes the same route as he did with Del Toro and chooses a thesp with serious acting chops in lieu of A-lister status. Star Trek 2 (unofficial title) opens in 3D on May 17th, 2013.
Benicio Del Toro Drops Out of STAR TREK 2; Villain May Be Khan After All
Benicio Del Toro Drops Out of STAR TREK 2. Director J.J. Abrams had cast Del Toro in the film's villain role, but he dropped out last week.