After a few delays and the surprising departure of Oscar-winning actor Benicio Del Toro, Star Trek 2 is finally underway, with principal photography commencing this week. In addition to the returning cast of our favorite Starfleet characters and crew of the Enterprise, Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch headlines a batch of new talent who've enlisted for the sequel to J.J. Abrams' franchise reboot.

Cumberbatch is expected to play the lead villain, joining the previously-cast Alice Eve and Peter Weller in undisclosed roles. Other recent Star Trek 2 castings include Noel Clarke (Doctor Who), Nazneen Contractor (24) and one actor we just found out is also onboard: Joseph Gatt.

Gatt is another Brit actor - the third in a week - who made quite a few headlines over the last year due to his appearances in high-profile geek shows and films - from playing a Frost Giant in Thor to having appeared as a key character in the now-defunct Wonder Woman pilot, to his most recent stint as a guest on Chuck.

Although we have confirmation that Gatt is in Star Trek 2, we have no information as to which character he may be playing. With his background in voice acting (Star Wars: The Old Republic) and motion-capture work (God of War series) in addition to his resume of filmwork, he could be playing anything from an alien with physical prowess to a henchman of Benedict Cumberbatch's character.

Multiple reports had the villain of Star Trek 2 being the iconic Khan but with Del Toro dropping out and the surprising-yet-inspired casting decision to bring in Cumberbatch as a replacement, we can expect a performance and character entirely different from Ricardo Montalban's original Khan. If anything, Cumberbatch's character will likely enter confrontations through a battle of wit, leaving the physicality of the original Khan to other characters - if the movie actually goes in this direction, that is - and actors like Gatt could provide the brawn to match Cumberbatch's brains.

Joe Gatt joins Benedict Cumberbatch, Noel Clarke, Alice Eve and Peter Weller as newcomers to the sequel, which will of course bring back the entire crew of the USS Enterprise, including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho and Anton Yelchin.

Star Trek 2 hits theaters on May 17, 2013.

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