Benicio Del Toro has reportedly turned down the opportunity to star in J.J. Abrams Star Trek 2 , after failing to agree terms with Paramount. But although it might be back to the drawing board in terms of casting the villain, we do now know who that villain is going to be.
Vulture reports from an inside source that the part Del Toro turned down was that of Khan Noonien Singh, the villain initially played by Ricardo Montalban in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan .
A genetically engineered human tyrant, Khan cropped up in the TV episode Space Seed before being brought back for the first big-screen sequel, where he sought vengeance on Kirk for exiling him on the barren planet Ceti Alpha V.
Regardless of whether you are a fan of the character or not, he did seem a good fit for Del Toro, who would have brought a daunting physical presence to the role, as well as some genuine A-list star power.
Abrams has at least swelled his cast with other additions over the past week, with Alice Eve and Peter Weller recently signing on the dotted line. As for who plays Khan, let the speculation commence! Star Trek 2 is released in the US on 17 May 2013.
