DC Area Film Critics Assoc.
Well it appears we have two Star Trek Into Darkness mysteries solved, but the answers only create more questions. Earlier today we received a new image from the film, with Benedict Cumberbatch's character imprisoned, presumably on the Enterprise. The caption for the image has been released, and it finally clues us in to who Cumberbatch is playing, and it's not Gary Mitchell or Khan....
(Left to right) Zachary Quinto is Spock, Benedict Cumberbatch is John Harrison and Chris Pine is Kirk in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions.
He's not a character I'm all that familiar with, but there are a couple of Harrisons in Star Trek lore. There's one, simply named 'Harrison' in the Star Trek database, and he was a technician aboard the Enterprise who nearly suffocated when Khan cut the air supply. Kirk apparently awarded him some kind of commendation. And then there's a William Harrison who was stranded on a Roman-style world and became a gladiator, dying in a televised match just before the Enterprise arrived.
Assuming J.J. Abrams is going to stick to hard continuity is foolish, so the name could mean nothing or everything. I also think it can't be a coincidence that a character with obvious ties to Khan is being introduced now in such a major way. I won't be shocked at all if Khan is in the film, perhaps played by someone we know, or someone Abrams has managed to keep hidden. Do we know for sure who Peter Weller is playing yet?
And then there's Alice Eve, who can be seen in the trailer being looked at fondly by Chris Pine in one scene, for a pretty good reason. Comingsoon's Silas Lesnick visited Bad Robot Productions and, other than confirming the presence of Klingons in the film, also revealed exactly who Eve is playing, and it's kind of a doozy....
Alice Eve’s Star Trek Into Darkness character revealed… She’s playing Carol Marcus!
Marcus is actually kind of a big deal, known for her planet development process, Project Genesis. Oh, and she also had a relationship with Captain Kirk which produced their son, David. Again, assuming Abrams will stick to the script is silly, but I think it's safe to say something is going to happen between them and that Eve will be sticking around for awhile.
We don't always get matter-of-fact reveals like this from an Abrams project, so some have speculated this all just a clever ploy on his part to trick us. Maybe that's true, but I kind of doubt it.
Star Trek Into Darkness opens on May 17th 2013.
Source: www.punchdrunkcritics.com