Variety is reporting that director J.J. Abrams is courting Benicio Del Toro for a villainous role in his upcoming Star Trek sequel.

According to the report:

Sources close to the project tell Variety that Benicio Del Toro is expected to be offered the part, possibly before the weekend is out. Insiders say Del Toro has met with Abrams but, in an effort to keep the role a secret, still doesn’t know exactly what it is.

Del Toro is an Oscar-winning actor who would definitely bring further star-power to the rebooted series. With filming expected to commence in January, we can expect further information on casting and the role to be announced quite soon.

What do you think of this report? Are you excited by the prospects of Del Toro as a villain?