A new trailer for J.J. Abrams’ second Star Trek film has been released. Star Trek Into Darkness sees the return of Chris Pine as James Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock, while Benedict Cumberbatch plays the villain, Khan. The film will be released in the UK on 9 May, ahead of the US.

When the Enterprise is called home to Earth, the crew discover that a threat from within the Starfleet Command has detonated the fleet and has plunged the human planet into chaos. Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to capture the man responsible.

It’s clear a lot of the $185 million budget has gone on special effects (the lens flare becoming a particular trade mark of Abrams), but it is yet to be seen if the film will offer anything but the usual action blockbuster spectacle. Cumberbatch’s Khan seems to be typically clichéd in his villainy, as he gives us a suitably foreboding monologue in the trailer (courtesy of scriptwriters Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof). But perhaps, as the crew of the Enterprise go in search of Khan, we will see some deeper characterisation and exploration of the crew’s relationships beyond the standardised love and friendship narratives.