Idris Elba Will Play A New Character In Star Trek 3 According To Simon Pegg

When actor Idris Elba joins the re-christened Star Trek universe for Star Trek 3, he’ll inhabit an entirely new character.

The news comes from Star Trek 3‘s co-screenwriter and actor (Scotty) Simon Pegg, who revealed more on Elba’s role during a recent CinemaCon interview. When asked if Elba’s character would be a new addition to the Star Trek mythos, Pegg gave a clear confirmation. 

“This is the five-year mission,” he told MTVNews. “We’re out there. We don’t have to keep bumping into the same people. It’s a massive universe.” 

Pegg went on to confirm, as far as he knew, Elba was still on-board for the 2016 Trek film, saying, “Idris is an extraordinary actor. We’re trying to write him a kick ass role.”

You can see Pegg discuss Elba’s involvement at the 4:07 mark.

Star Trek 3 hits theaters on July 8, 2016.