Benedict Cumberbatch was on The Graham Norton Show today, and answered one of Norton's "contractually obligated questions" in such a manner that it prompts some curiosity.
When asked "Are you in the next STAR TREK?", he quickly gave Graham a snip, "No comment." When the audience cooed at the tease, Cumberbatch leaned into it and fidgeted knowingly in his chair.
I'm betting that, at the very least, Cumberbatch knows for certain whether or not his STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS character will return in Roberto Orci's threequel. But those who have seen the film know that "John Harrison" survives the film, and could very easily make an appearance in a future TREK film. His reaction here is the most evidence we've seen so far that that film will be TREK 3, but it certainly leaves the door open to the possibility.
Given the widespread reaction to his character, how he was presented in the marketing, the racial inconsistencies of Cumberbatch's casting, and his ultimate portrayal in the final film, it'd be a surprise if they leaned on his presence as heavily as last time, especially this soon. I could see him showing up in a scene or two, but probably not as much as, say, Loki in THOR: THE DARK WORLD. I certainly wouldn't be adverse to it; I'm in the minority in thinking his interpretation of the character, and his newfangled relationship with the Enterprise crew, actally gives more dimension to the classic incarnation of the character we know and love. This new timeline could use him in a far different manner than we've ever seen before.
Jump to :43 for the damning evidence:
