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Up until this point, there has been more ‘Star Trek 3’ talk about what’s going on behind the camera rather than what will be in front of it. After J.J. Abrams beamed off of the Starship Enterprise to a galaxy far, far away to direct ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens,’ screenwriter Roberto Orci was set to make his directorial debut with the sequel to ‘Star Trek Into Darkness.’ However, discrepancies with the studio over the direction of the screenplay lead to Orci’s departure and the hiring of ‘Fast & Furious’ director Justin Lin to helm the third installment of the Paramount Pictures franchise. The last thing we heard was that series star Simon Pegg would team with Doug Jung to write the script for the upcoming film, but now it seems like the first bit of casting news has finally emerged.

According to Variety, Idris Elba is in early talks to play the villain of ‘Star Trek 3’. Definitely a favorite among fans across the board, Elba has appeared in blockbusters such as ‘Prometheus,’ ‘Pacific Rim,’ and ‘Thor’ after starring in acclaimed television productions like ‘The Wire’ and ‘Luthor.’ The British actor even had a stint on the American version of ‘The Office’ to show off his comedic side. While negotiations are still in progress, rumor has it that Elba would be playing a Klingon foe in opposition of Chris Pine’s Captain James T. Kirk and his crew. The iconic alien race has yet to fully appear in the new version of the classic sci-fi staple, so it’s possible that the 50th anniversary of the Gene Roddenberry creation could be the time to reintroduce them to the world.

Idris Elba has shown an incredible and commanding presence in every role that he has portrayed, so to see him stand toe to toe with Captain Kirk potentially as a Klingon warrior would be an excellent fit. What do you think about the actor being the villain of ‘Star Trek 3’? Can you think of a villainous character from past ‘Star Trek’ canon (Klingon or otherwise) that he would be perfect for? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments.

‘Star Trek 3’ starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, and Simon Pegg opens in theaters on July 8, 2016.