The above Star Trek Into Darkness photo, released yesterday, reveals Benedict Cumberbatch’s character in the Enterprise brig (hereafter known as the Cumberbrig). The Paramount Pictures-sanctioned caption released with that photo?
(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.
There we have it. We know who our Star Trek Into Darkness villain is. Except, um, we don’t. Writers Orci and Kurzman and director J.J. Abrams are probably still messing with us.
John Harrison is the nom de plume given to Star Trek actor Ron Veto, who played many an unnamed extra in the show’s first season. Literally, he’s a redshirt—although you can also catch him in blue and gold—and the name wasn’t particularly associated with the actor.
While there was definitely a “role” to play, there was no character there. So what does this mean now that the name has been attached to Benedict Cumberbatch’s character in Star Trek Into Darkness? Two things:
1.) His name is actually John Harrison and his character is a commentary on how no one pays any attention to him/the redshirts and now he’s a crazed super-powered terrorist who just wants JOHN Spock to love him.
2.) Abrams, Orci, and Kurzman are messing with us and we still don’t know the real name of Cumberbatch’s character. After all, “John Harrison” was almost literally a placeholder name in the original show. The same could easily be said here. (And these guys are no strangers to messing with the fans regarding the info surrounding this movie.)
What do you think?
Stubby the Rocket is the mascot of Tor.com. Stubby thinks John Harrison is real and is probably the one who jumped off the building at the end of Sherlock season 2.
