Ever since news of a sequel to Star Trek was announced, the rumour mill has continually been awash with speculation as to the identity of the villain in Star Trek 2 .
When Benecio Del Toro was attached to the project, it was assumed that he would be playing the genetically engineered despot Khan, until Benedict Cumberbatch signed on to replace him, and the whole thing was blown wide open again.
Now TrekMovie claims to have an inside source who can confirm that Cumberbatch will be playing Khan after all. Originally played by Ricardo Montalban, Khan Noonien Singh is an exiled war monger bearing a nasty grudge against Starfleet.
Having already served as the primary antagonist in Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan , Khan first popped up in the episode Space Seed , although TrekMovie claims that the new film will not just be a rehash of that existing origin story.
Meanwhile, Leonard Nimoy will also make an appearance in the sequel as Spock Prime. "I enjoy conversations with JJ Abrams and Zachary Quinto," said Nimoy via his Twitter account. "Keeping up on their work. They are my friends. LLAP."
Star Trek 2 opens in the UK on 17 May 2013.
