With the production of the Star Trek sequel recently getting significantly pushed back, there hasn’t been very much news on the project as of late. Fortunately, today brings a much-needed casting rumor (fanboys need something to discuss for a while, right?). It’s been thought that the part of the villain will factor heavily in the film, similar to the original series movie, Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan. For this antagonist role, director J. J. Abrams has reportedly made an offer to Benicio Del Toro. It’s currently unknown what character he would portray and allegedly Abrams didn’t even tell the actor. Naturally, speculation has run rampant on who Del Toro would play, with guesses ranging from a Klingon or Khan to a whole new character.

With the original cast set to return along with screenwriters Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof, Del Toro (and the part he would play) marks one of the key unknown factors for the sequel. If the casting works out, I think it would be a strong choice. Del Toro has shown great diversity in his roles, plus I’ve always gotten a kind of sinister vibe from him anyway. The official offer is said to happen this weekend, so we should hear yay or nay soon enough. Shooting on the film will begin in January with an eye on a Summer 2013 release. What are your thoughts on Benicio Del Toro joining the Star Trek franchise as a villain? What character would you like to see threatening the crew this time out?