Officially Benedict Cumberbatch’s villain in Star Trek Into Darkness has been identified as John Harrison, a “terrorist” from “within Starfleet.” But that hasn’t stopped speculation that there is more to him than that. And in an interview with the LA Times, co-writer/producer Damon Lindelof seems to confirm there is more to the character, even joking ““Benedict doesn’t even know who he’s playing.” More seriously, Lindelof explained why they are being tight-lipped about Harrison….
“The audience needs to have the same experience that the crew is having,” Lindelof explained. “You’re Kirk, you’re Spock, you’re McCoy, so if they don’t know who the bad guy is going to be in the movie, then you shouldn’t know. It’s not just keeping the secret for secrecy’s sake. It’s not giving the audience information that the characters don’t have.”
No surprise here. I don’t think any of us know who John Harrison Really is and I think we all believe there is more to him than just a nobody who is the new villain. May can’t get here fast enough.