Speaking with
MTV News, Chris Pine (Jim Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock) and Benedict Cumberbatch (John Harrison) discuss J.J. Abrams' highly anticipated sequel
Star Trek Into Darkness. Cumberbatch offers some new details on his heavily debated villain, calling him a terrorist and teasing his relationship with Spock and Kirk, as well his overall motivation as an adversary. Meanwhile, Quinto addresses the possibility of one or more members of the Enterprise crew would be killed off, saying that the stakes are definitely higher this time around and that Cumberbatch's character is unlike any
Star Trek villain before. Finally, Pine comments on the chances of Kirk having a love interest in Alice Eve's Carol Marcus, and how the character's scientific knowledge has a "big part" in solving a crisis in the film.
"He's a terrorist; he operates as a terrorist. He has extraordinary physical powers, but also mental powers. He can sow an idea, which is as powerful as gunshots or close-hand combat, which he's masterful in. He tears into the fabric of both the world and the Enterprise family, and he leaves behind him a trail of devastation. It's quite exciting to watch."
"Giving away the full motivation would ruin it, but it's personal. It's also political, I think. He's somebody who, at some point in the film, you should feel a certain amount of empathy towards his cause, if not his means. ... There's no two-dimensional obstacle he presents purely and simply by the fact that he's opposing our hero. He has an interesting relationship with Kirk, and with Spock in a way. He very much plays them off against each other. There's an element of shadow to him and Kirk."
"There's reason to worry, let's say that much. The enemy that we face in this movie played by Benedict Cumberbatch is entirely different than enemies that we've seen this crew face in the past. There is an insidiousness, a ruthlessness and a fierce intelligence about his character that almost infiltrates and undermines the connectivity of the crew. There's a lot more at risk, so.. who knows."
"What I will say about the film is that so much happens, with the action, the plot, the current of it is so fast, there's really not much time for Kirk to do anything other than save the crew and save his own ass, because danger is imminent, and all that. But clearly, Kirk being Kirk, Kirk loves a blonde, and Alice is a beautiful woman, so the flirting and the connection is there. I'll leave it to the people who watch to see how far it goes. But what she adds to it ... she, her scientific knowledge and her education, scientifically speaking, plays a big part in helping solve the crisis."
Star Trek Into Darkness is set to hit theaters May 17th, 2013. IMAX 3D screenings of
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will feature the film's first nine minutes, and a full trailer will be released on December 17th.