It’s one thing that our TV is slowly being adapted from British television, or that our movies and TV shows are slowly being taken over by British actors/actresses, now they’ve set their sights on the Final Frontier.  And you know what?  I couldn’t be happier!

In recent days it’s been announced that two notable genre actors have joined the cast of JJ Abrams’ sequel to the rebooted Star Trek film.  First is actor Noel Clarke, who many will remember played Mickey Smith for the first few years of the new Doctor Who.  We may have to start calling him ‘the comeback kid’ at this rate.

Clarke has been cast in a so-far-unspecified role.  The equally exciting news (more so if you ask our own Brian Zino) is that Benedict Cumberbatch has been cast as a villain in the film.

BBC

Cumberbatch is probably best known now for his turn as Sherlock Holmes in the re-imagined Sherlock series currently in it’s second season on the BBC.  He’s also currently appearing in the big screen adaption of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy starring Gary Oldman.

Paramount Pictures

When you stack these two up with the already well-regarded talent signed on as the crew of the Enterprise, it almost raises the expectations of the film to ridiculous heights.

Personally, I’m VERY excited to hear about these new additions and, barring a horrendous trailer, I’ll probably line up to see this one in the theaters (I’ll probably even see it in IMAX since I’ll be saving money not seeing the abortive The Man of Steel).  Who knows, maybe this incredible news might get Brian to actually watch the first film (being the Cumberbatch fan that he is).