So, when one co-star outright denies, another co-star accidentally reveals?

About, oh, 85-90% of the talk pertaining to Star Trek 2 has speculated on the identity of Benedict Cumberbatch‘s character; despite comments from some of involved parties that go to the contrary, almost everyone thinks it’s the iconic and impossible-to-reprise Khan.

But Karl Urban, whilst answering a simple, Cumberbatch-related question, flipped the script and opened up a whole new wellspring of discussion for the legion of fans. During a promotional engagement for Dredd, “Bones” McCoy addressed the issue of his co-star by saying, among other things, “I think his Gary Mitchell is going to be exemplary.” [SFX, via DigitalSpy]

Now, unless “Gary Mitchell” was some kind of slang term on the set — “you really Gary Mitchell-d my sandwich, man!” — that’s a quote I’d be somewhat hard-pressed to generate denials for. And, yet, co-writer Roberto Orci said Gary Mitchell will not be in the film. Who’s wrong? Or lying?

Mitchell, by the way, was a friend of Captain Kirk’s who, in the series’ second pilot, Where No Man Has Gone Before, was warped into a telekinetic supervillain after going through what’s known as a “galactic barrier.” In the grand scheme of the franchise, his appearance is rather brief, but the enduring legacy of Gary Lockwood‘s performance has made him a fan favorite and, also, rumored antagonist for the past few years.

While it’s possible this is Cumberbatch‘s character — a fan of the actor who doesn’t know the franchise all that well can get behind it — almost no one outside the production has any clue, nor will we for months and months to come. At least it might not be Khan!

Do you even care who Cumberbatch plays in Star Trek 2? How does it look to you?