Chris Pine Talks ‘Star Trek 2,’ Says ‘We’re Not Doing Batman’

Chris Pine talked up Star Trek 2 in a recent interview, explaining the coming Trek sequel’s strengths without giving away too much geeky detail. Most importantly, he said that J.J. Abrams is avoiding the recent trend in film franchises; making the second chapter the “dark” chapter. Pine specifically singled out Christopher Nolan’s popular Dark Knight Trilogy, saying that Star Trek 2 will avoid the dark and gritty touches made popular by the most recent Batman films.

Star Trek 2 isn’t due in theaters until next year, and Chris Pine, who played Captain James T. Kirk in the 2009 reboot and will again in its sequel, kept with the classic J.J. Abrams tradition of secrecy in a recent interview with Total Film. Though Pine didn’t discuss what the Trek sequel will be, he was careful to single out what it won’t be: Nolan’s Bat-franchise.

“We’re not making Batman,” he said. “That’s not our deal,” meaning that they won’t be pushing Star Trek 2 into darker territory like how the already-dark Batman Begins gave way to the darker The Dark Knight.

Still, the stakes in the sequel will be higher than they were in the original:

“Like the first one, there’s some serious issues being dealt with. And I’d say the threat is even greater in this one. The force [the Enterprise crew] are met with is much more frightening. It’s relentlessly action-packed and in terms of character development it goes places you’d never expect.”

Other rumors have stated that the film’s villain, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, will indeed be a force to be reckoned with. How Abrams and Pine plan to raise the stakes while avoiding the darkness in Star Trek 2 remains to be seen.

You can catch Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk when Star Trek 2 hits theaters on May 17th.