Benedict Cumberbatch is going from solving crimes in London to perpetrating them in space.
The "Sherlock" star has joined JJ Abrams' upcoming "Star Trek" sequel in a villain role, Variety reports. While it was reported late in 2011 that the second film would see classic baddie Khan do battle against the crew of the USS Enterprise, there is no indication which character Cumberbatch will play.
A supporting star in this winter's "War Horse" and "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Cumberbatch's filmography has been growing in leaps and bounds. In a recent interview with the Radio Times, he worried that his privileged childhood -- he is the son of two British actors -- was keeping him typecast in pompous, unlikable roles; he's voicing the evil Smaug in Peter Jackson's upcoming "Hobbit" movies, and playing another villain will probably do little to disprove his notion. Still, working in massive franchises with Jackson and Abrams is probably worth the tradeoff.
Cumberbatch joins a cast that returns Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura and Simon Pegg as Scotty. Edgar Ramirez is reported to have auditioned for the villain role, while Benicio Del Toro was rumored to be playing Khan late last year before that was shot down.
For more, click over to Variety.