After recent reports confirming actor’s Idris Elba’s participation in Star Trek 3, many have been questioning the specifics behind his villainous role. Writer Simon Pegg spoke with MTV about the role, production, and where they are taking the film and its new characters. When asked about the nature of the villain that Elba will play, Pegg shared that, “the plan is to…have Elba play an original character this time out.” He noted that because the Star Trek universe is so massive, he and fellow writer Doug Jung are going, “to try and reflect that in the movie” by creating an original villain for Elba to take on.
Pegg praised Elba, calling him “an extraordinary actor” and also commented on the return of the original “spirit” of the universe from the original show. He explained, “We can invest in it [the film] the spirit of the show and get back to the essence of what it is, and so what we’re hoping to do is make a Star Trek for today that doesn’t forget where it came from.” Justin Lin will direct the film which is currently slated for release on July 8th, 2016.