Is he or isn't he?

For the last few months, it's seemed like every other entertainment news story was about whether or not
the mysterious baddie played by Benedict Cumberbatch in J.J. Abrams' upcoming "Star Trek Into Darkness" is really the fan favorite "Star Trek II" villain Khan. 

Abrams, famous for trying to confuse fans with false info ("Lost," "Cloverfield," "Super 8"), has been mum on the subject all along, as has Cumberbatch himself, even when the recently released teaser had many fans convinced that Khan was the film's antagonist.

However, Cumberbatch has recently started actually answering questions. When asked about it by Access Hollywood, he replied, “A few have asked that which is strange. I play a character called John and not that other name.”

“It’s interesting. Speculation is speculation and that’s all fun,” "Sherlock" actor added.  

He went on to further illuminate his role. “I play John Harrison who’s a terrorist and an extraordinary character in his own right,” have explained. “He’s somebody who is not your two-dimensional cookie cutter villain. He’s got an extraordinary purpose, and I hope that at one point or other in the film you might even sympathize with the reasons he’s doing what he’s doing — not necessarily the means and the destruction he causes. But it was a great ride, not just because he’s the bad guy and the antagonist but also because he has a purpose and it’s hard not to see his point of view at certain points."

It sounds like a pretty definitive "no" to the persistent Khan rumors, but we may not know for sure until the film opens next summer.