After putting the MI franchise back on track with the threequel in 2006, J.J. Abrams took Star Trek under his wings and revamped the IP for the new generation. While not a fan of the IP himself, which certainly didn’t sit well with the fandom, Abrams did manage to deliver one if not the best entry in the franchise since Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan with his 2009 reboot.
Upon its release, the film opened to critical acclaim and was a box-office success, But despite all of its accomplishments, the one thing that still bugs J.J. Abrams is the film’s villain, Eric Bana’s Nero.
J.J. Abrams Regrets Not Giving Eric Bana Enough Material to Work With
While many things went in the 2009 reboot’s favor, Eric Bana’s Nero just didn’t cut it for J.J. Abrams. Even though the casting for Star Trek couldn’t have been more perfect, as they resembled their older counterparts from the previous installments, Abrams stated Eric Bana’s acting chops were underutilized. In the movie, Bana played the revenge-bent villain, who is fueled by anger, and in an excerpt (via Slash Film), Abrams expressed regret over not giving Bana more material to work with.
“Our first ‘Star Trek’ movie was, if anything, an exercise in perfection of casting. April Webster and Alyssa Weisberg helped us find the absolutely perfect actors. I’m proud of its telling and humor, but of course only see what’s wrong with it. Among other things, I wish we had given Eric Bana a bit more to do other than be full of rage, given that he is such a fine actor.”
Although the acclaimed release would’ve certainly benefited from witnessing more nuances in the character, Eric Bana had no complaints about playing the rageful villain.
Eric Bana Didn’t Want Nero to Be Overly Humanized
While the lack of depth certainly held Nero back, Eric Bana had no problem with what he got, stating that he didn’t want his character to be overly humanized and likable. But in an interview, the Troy Star did explain that he wanted his vengeance to be understandable, stating,
“I didn’t want to be overly humanized and overly likable, I just wanted his vengeance to be understandable. Just because I think it is more interesting for the audience. I never like it when we have to accept our villains just because they are villains.”
Although witnessing a madman driven by anger, who is bent on revenge wasn’t exactly something new, a strong performance from Bana ensured the character worked in the acclaimed reboot.
Star Trek is available to stream on Paramount Plus.
