J.J. Abrams confirms that 'Star Trek Into Darkness' will feature Klingons

Benedict Cumberbatch won't be the only villain

By HitFix Staff Thursday, Feb 21, 2013 1:51 PM

Worf and fellow Klingons on "Star Trek: The Next Generation."

Credit: CBS

Are you a fan of Star Trek?

Sign up to get the latest updates instantly.

We still don't know exactly who Benedict Cumberbatch is playing in the upcoming sequel "Star Trek Into Darkness," but J.J. Abrams has revealed that, whether he's Khan or not, the actor won't be the film's only villain.

The director confirmed that the beloved Klingons will appear in the film to terrorize Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine) and the Enterprise crew.

"Their role in this is definitely that of adversary, and you'll see how that plays out," he told MTV.

The Klingons began as a purely villainous race in the original series, but grew into Federation allies during laters series such as "The Next Generation" and "Deep Space Nine," but Abrams isn't counting on new viewers to have absorbed all that previous lore. "You don't need to know any preexisting stories to enjoy this film," the director explained.

Watch the full interview with Abrams here:

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

HitFix's Drew McWeeny reported more about the film's extensive use of Klingons when he visited the "Star Trek Into Darkness" press day late last year.

The menacing aliens almost made it into the 2009 original. "We had shot some stuff that had Klingons in [the first film], and we cut the scene," Abrams explained. "It's a deleted scene on the DVD. But they're back in this one."

Abrams previously teased the Klingons during last year's MTV Movie Awards.

"Star Trek Into Darkness" journeys into theaters May 17.