10 Questions From The ‘Star Trek 2′ Trailers

In the last two weeks, Paramount has released a one-minute announcement video, a nine-minute IMAX preview and a full trailer for the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness. Even with all of this footage, the film's story and primary antagonist remain shrouded in mystery. Such is the way of J.J. Abrams projects. From the two online teasers released thus far, we've compiled 10 questions worth pondering from some interesting stills we've pulled from the video, some of which were carefully edited out of order. Read on for our top 10 Star Trek 2 questions...

In this scene reminiscent of the iconic Kirk-Spock moment at the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Spock offers a "live long and prosper" gesture to an unconfirmed second party. Is this scene going to have similar results? Is that Kirk or John Harrison's hand on the opposite side of the glass from Spock? Is this foreshadowing a sacrifice on the part of one of these characters as hinted at in the official Star Trek Into Darkness synopsis? Check out this insane hand analysis which aims to prove it's Kirk.

Who is the Starfleet funeral for and is this scene taking place before or after the all-out attack on Earth? Does Kirk lose his mom, making the crew of the Enterprise his only "family" left? Is Admiral Pike, a narrator of the teaser trailer, the focus of this service?

Star Trek 2 Questions Cryogenically Frozen Augments

Intentionally included as a quick shot after the funeral sequence in the trailer, this still features what appears to be life pods and not caskets, as evidenced by the frosted viewing glass - Oddly reminiscent of the SS Botany Bay where Khan and his group of genetically-enhanced Humans (Augments) lay cryogenically frozen in the main Star Trek timeline. Are these Augments and another hint at Khan, or something entirely different? Perhaps people sick of an ailment similar to that of the little girl in the IMAX prologue?

In the Star Trek Into Darkness announcement video, there are two separate shots involving a Starfleet vessel and water. One with a ship emerging from the water with warp nacelles entirely different than that of the Enterprise, and another with an Enterprise-shaped ship crashing into the water. What's going on in the water (from the IMAX prologue) and what ship is this depicted on the bottom half of the image? Is it a re-designed Enterprise?

Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin) - who didn't appear in the announcement video - is shown in the full trailer sporting a different uniform color. Has his position on the Enterprise changed? Is he now doomed as an infamous "red shirt"? Maybe it means nothing since others - including Uhura and Scotty - sport red uniforms as well. Will Chekov say "Nuclear Wessels"?

Star Trek 2 Questions John Harrison Brig

Benedict Cumberbatch is playing a character named John Harrison as confirmed by Paramount Pictures and (secret) footage screened for the media, but it's widely believed to be an alias to cover a secret identity. Who is John Harrison, what are his motivations, and why is he in the brig? Being imprisoned intentionally is all the rage these days - just ask Javier Bardem and Tom Hiddleston about their characters Silva and Loki in Skyfall and The Avengers, respectively (we'll skip the Dark Knight reference... this time).

Klingons play an important part in Star Trek Into Darkness and we've already seen a brief glimpse of their homeworld Qo'noS in the teasers. Why does the crew of the Enterprise and the character of John Harrison go there and what is their part in the overall narrative? Is that a Klingon ship in this image? For more on the new Klingon designs and props, click here.

Star Trek 2 Questions Enterprise Destroyed

In a very brief shot in the full Star Trek 2 teaser trailer, the Enterprise is clearly depicted with significant battle damage across the top of its saucer section and along the bottom of it, including the deflector array which is shown here on the left, offline and not functional. What confrontation and enemy caused this? Does the Enterprise survive its journey Into Darkness? Could this explain a potential redesign from the water sequence if that is in fact, the Enterprise?

Star Trek 2 Questions Spoke Uhura Relationship

While Dr. Carol Marcus and Captain Kirk may not share romance in Star Trek Into Darkness, the unlikely relationship between Spock and Uhura continues and will be put to the test. Said J.J. Abrams to USA Today: "This movie tests a number of relationships. And one of them is theirs. What is it to date a Vulcan? He may be reliable, loyal, honest, logical and smart. But he also, to a fault, follows rules. Does that get in the way of love?"

The Star Trek 2 IMAX prologue attached to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey this weekend opens with a scene on Earth with two new characters, a couple (played by Noel Clarke and Nazneen Contractor) going to the hospital to visit their sick child. Clarke, emotional, goes outside and is confronted by John Harrison (Cumberbatch) who says he can help save her. How and what does Harrison want in exchange? What is Clarke's character doing in this brief shot where he places a ring in a cup? Must he sacrifice himself and do something to aid Cumberbatch to save his daughter? "Is there anything you would not do for your family" is one of the themes of the film.

What questions do you have about Star Trek 2? Star Trek Into Darkness is directed by J.J. Abrams off a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof and Roberto Orci. It stars Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Anton Yelchin and Simon Pegg. Star Trek Into Darkness opens in theaters (regular and IMAX 3D) on May 17th, 2013. Follow Rob on Twitter @rob_keyes.

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27 Comments

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Lordofthethrones26 5 months ago

why doesn’t the trailer appear on Youtube anymore?

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- Rob Keyes 5 months ago
  
  I imagine that Paramount had it taken down since it’s exclusive to Apple for the time being.
  
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Bellcure 5 months ago

Since te vulcan home world is no more will the species as a while be more dependant on humans? More willing to share tech? An as such would its influences both stylistic and functional be apparent in a new version of the enterprise? From what I’ve read alot of time has passed since the first film. Alot could have also changed as far as how vulcans interact with humans / federation now.

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- Rob Keyes 5 months ago
  
  Into Darkness picks up six months since the first film. Not too long.
  
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Dan-O 5 months ago

What about the genocide of the Vulcans? You know, the destruction of the home planet in Star Trek? Will that have any role in the sequel, albeit a minor one?

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Mike 5 months ago

Concerning the starship in water. It is possible the nacelles act as “fins”. Contracting and expanding for inpulse. Since the Enterprise was under water during the prolouge, I think it’s a good bet that’s what we see here. The nacelles closing to become water tight.

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Wiseman 5 months ago

Pike was speaking in the trailer? I only heard Cumberbatch’s voice.

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- Rob Keyes 5 months ago
  
  Yeap, listen to the first voice:
  http://screenrant.com/star-trek-2-trailer/
  
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Spork is a child of two utensil worlds 5 months ago

I think I remember Abrams saying there would be a ‘Galileo 7′ type subplot to this, and nothing above necessarily conflicts with that.

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al 5 months ago

Oh, I’m hoping the Enterprise is scrapped by the end of the movie so we can get a redesign. I wasn’t impressed with this version…mainly the secondary/engineering hull. The ship needs an upgrade.

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- Jahawn 5 months ago
  
  I concur. I, admitting I am being picky and over analytical, found it did not have balance between the nacelles and the saucer section. Fatten it up and get rid of those curved nacelle supports.
  
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buh 5 months ago

The picture for 4 is clearly in space.

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- Friggen Italian 4 months ago
  
  And it is definitely the Enterprise… the image is reversed… taking that into account, the writing on the ship reads as NCC-1701
  
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Tom 5 months ago

I thought they IMAX 9 minute preview would be online today? Those of us who can’t go to an IMAX would still like to see the preview!

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- Rob Keyes 5 months ago
  
  Not sure when it’s releasing but we’ll share online if it does as soon as Paramount releases it!
  
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leeunit87 5 months ago

Perhaps it’s only me, but I think that is the Enterprise rising out of the water. I’m not sure what part of the necelle looks incorrect to so many. I can identify the rear “fins”, the beginning of NCC is in the correct place, and if you look closely at this sequence in the teaser, you can see the saucer section of the ship begin to rise from the water as well on the far right side of the screen. The necelles were mounted much higher than the top of the saucer section in the first movie, so that would make sense here. I think the reason it appears to be different from the last film is because of the differing angles of the two screen shots you’ve included above. The new image seems to be much closer to the rear of the ship than the one from the first film. That’s my two cents.

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- Jeff W 5 months ago
  
  Could be another ship with NCC-17XX.
  
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- The Big Dentist 5 months ago
  
  With you on that, leeunit87: far from being “entirely different to the Enterprise”, those nacelles look exactly the same to me. The top still is taken from a much sharper angle, that’s all; those fins are unmistakable. That’s the Enterprise as far as I’m concerned, or as Jeff says, another ship of the same class.
  
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  - The Big Dentist 5 months ago
    
    The ship going INTO the water is the one that’s entirely different.
    
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LisaM 5 months ago

Re funeral theories. Kirk still has a brother, even though the first film was changed, showing the kid in the beginning to be a friend and not Sam Kirk. And would his mom get a Star Fleet service funeral? She was on the ship but was she a ranking officer?

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Marcus 5 months ago

Khan’s ships gets intercepted by the Klingons.

Kirk gets himself killed to save the ship.

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- Marcus 5 months ago
  
  Retracting my predictions, and I will replace them with:
  
  (1) Funeral & flag will be for all the people killed during the attack on the city.
  
  (2) Captain Pike dies.
  
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  - Jackson 5 months ago
    
    sorry to say but the truth to the bad guy it Startrek 2 in to darkness is none other then Khan !!
    this site tells the confirmation of it http://celluloidandcigaretteburns.blogspot.com/2012/04/benedict-cumberbatch-indeed-playing.html
    
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Boyd Merriman 5 months ago

Stated in Question: “One with a ship emerging from the water with warp nacelles entirely different than that of the Enterprise, and another with an Enterprise-shaped ship crashing into the water.”

The picture is in reverse, but the nacelles are showing the NCC-1701 number, so it is the Enterprise. What is a mystery is the slightly hidden nacelle just below it. What is a bigger mystery is why the Enterprise is in the water in the first place.

Why is this picture shown in mirror image?

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- Jahawn 5 months ago
  
  I believe the image was reversed by whoever created the picture to compare it to the nacelle coming out of the water. It looks the scene at the end of the first movie where they kick in warp drive for the closing credits.
  
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- Rob Keyes 5 months ago
  
  Yeap, it’s just for comparison, by size.
  
  I think a lot of people are mistaking the back part of the nacelle, a straight port on top, for the entire Nacelle. It’s not, the entire thing is a cylindrical nacelle with a port on top at the back. The saucer section (if there is one) isn’t visible in that image.
  
  The nacelle of that craft is different than the Enterprise from Abrams’ first Star Trek.
  
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SORAL 4 weeks ago

How do you know any of the images is of the people you think. If Harrison can shape shift then he can trick and manipulate anyone into thinking anything of another. There are some bits of screenplay when it looks like he is morphing. Maybe he can make himself look like others to escape. It would be a truly amazing JJ screw with our heads. Nothing will be as it seems at all and the WOW factor would be incredible

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