Star Trek 3 wants a villain that’s a lot like Bryan Cranston… and have approached Bryan Cranston for the role.
According to Film Divider, the 58-year-old Breaking Bad star is exactly what Paramount is looking for, when it comes to the next Star Trek villain.
“The major new role for a male actor will be the villain,” they explain. “As we understand it, he’s supposed to be Bryan Cranston-like, to the point that Cranston himself has had words with the studio about taking the role.”
Of course, Bryan Cranston has become renowned for the role of Walter White – the meth-dealing high school chemistry teacher from hit TV series Breaking Bad. But after a rather excellent performance as the villainous Cohaagen in the Total Recall remake, perhaps it’s this which led to him being considered for a villainous role.
“We don’t know just yet if he said yes, or if this is an all-new character or somebody from continuity, but because they’re shooting for Cranston we at least know the filmmakers want to bring the intensity.”
If it’s intensity they want, they’ve certainly gone to the right place… and I can’t help thinking that after the morally ambiguous nature of Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness, they might end up looking for an equally grey character. That’s not to say he won’t be a villain, but perhaps his motives will be just as gritty and heartfelt.
But while this is rather huge news, it seems that’s not all – it also looks as though Star Trek 3 is looking for three new female actresses to join the cast.
“One of these will be the captain of another Federation ship,” they explain. “The second will be the President of the United Federation of Planets.” And the third? It looks as though we’ll finally meet McCoy’s ex-wife… although it’s unclear which one it might be.
After coming under fire for the gratuitous underwear scene in Star Trek Into Darkness, it’s obvious that Paramount is keen to distance itself from the more misogynistic female roles in Hollywood films.
Let’s just forget that Dr Carol Marcus stripped down to her undies, shall we?
But this, of course, is a huge deal. Bringing three strong female roles into the film is a huge step forward… and might bring some balance to the crew of the USS Enterprise.
Will they be any match for Bryan Cranston’s villain? For now, we’ll have to wait and see. But it certainly sounds promising.
Star Trek 3 heads to cinemas on 8 July 2016.
Do you think Bryan Cranston would make a great Star Trek villain? Will the role be a classic villain or someone new? Let us know what you think in the comments below…
