Eric Bana, the Aussie actor of "Munich" fame, has signed on to star as a villain, in J.J. Abrams' upcoming Star Trek prequel, according to Variety.
Eric Bana - © Janet Mayer / Photorazzi
"Nero" will be Bana's foray into bad guy territory, usually he plays heroic roles.
Variety reports he may be a Romulan who sets out to kill Captain James T. Kirk.
Abrams team has kept the project's plot quiet—known as a prequel to the original 1960s Star Trek series, chronicling the travels of the USS Enterprise crew.
Some websites are reporting that Abrams is reportedly so paranoid about details being leaked, he has been offering roles to actors without giving them scripts.
Bana becomes the first A-List star to sign on as a principal character in the 11th Trek flick, joining a cast that includes Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Uhura) and Anton Yelchin (Checkov).
Leonard Nimoy will cameo as an older Spock, but the heavy scuttlebutt is that "Stargate: Atlantis" actor Paul McGillion (Dr. Carson Beckett) will play Scotty.
Bones, Sulu and, of course, Kirk still need casting.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Chris Pine is in talks to star as Kirk.
Star Trek is scheduled to begin filming next month, running through the beginning of next year. Paramount has already announced a release date of Christmas 2008.
Your Talkback on this Story