Things are about to get pretty busy on the Star Trek Into Darkness front. We know that our first glance at exclusive footage is going to be attached to prints of The Hobbit, both in traditional 2D and the 9-minute IMAX preview that Paramount has planned. What we didn’t expect was a message from the studio with the first teaser poster, ready to share. Here it is:
That’s Benedict Cumberbatch surveying the damage he’s brought to Earth (I believe), an act confirmed by the official plot synopsis released by Paramount a few weeks back. What the poster doesn’t show, however, are any members of the Enterprise crew. No Chris Pine. No Zacharty Quinto. Obviously, the shape of the hole that frames Cumberbatch creates the recognizable logo Starfleet Delta patch worn on the ship-members’ uniforms. But this poster puts its entire emphasis on the film’s villain.
And we don’t even know yet who he is.
Some on the Internet are already drawing comparisons to the Dark Knight Rises imagery, with Batman standing before a ruined Gotham. The comparison is fair, but I think it says so much more about the confidence Paramount has in J.J. Abrams – and the Star Trek brand, in general – that they can create a stark, stunning poster for a highly anticipated sequel and not show any of the returning characters, their ship, or a villain we’re innately familiar with (like Heath Ledger’s Joker, for example). What do you think of the poster? Star Trek Into Darkness begins teasing footage on Dec. 14. Brace yourself.
