After a string of reports linking him to be the next James Bond, it seems that Luther star Idris Elba is circling another long-running franchise, as Variety brings word that the fan favorite actor is in talks to play the villain role in Justin Lin’s Star Trek 3.
At the time of writing, not much is known about the potential role nor how close Elba is to signing along the dotted line. Still, the report does offer up some interesting tidbits relating to the threequel, and how it may include the Klingons in some shape or form.
Details of Elba’s role are being kept under wraps. Early rumors suggest that Klingons would be the main villains in this movie, as they have not had a full presence in previous installments, but sources would not confirm if that was the case.
What we do know for sure is that, following the abrupt departure of series stalwart Roberto Orci, Simon Pegg has assumed writing duties for Star Trek 3, and he hopes to have an early draft of the script by June. Whether Elba will commit to the project while it’s still in its nascent stages remains to be seen, but it would no doubt be a huge coup for Paramount if the studio secures the actor’s place before the cameras begin rolling. Either way, Elba will next be seen on screen as Heimdall in Joss Whedon’s upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana and Anton Yelchin will all step foot on the USS Enterprise once more when Star Trek 3 launches into theaters on July 8, 2016. But will Idris Elba be a part of the cast? Time will tell.