12 Years On, Star Trek Star Reveals His Biggest Hilarious Mistake on The Most Controversial Sequel

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J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek: Into Darkness is still a much-discussed film in the Star Trek series, mainly because of the controversial choice to reimagine The Wrath of Khan. Even though the plot twist involving Khan was widely known beforehand, it still upset many fans. Over time, reactions have become more positive, and the 2013 movie is now viewed more favorably. Recently, over a decade after its release, one of the film’s actors revealed what he considers his biggest on-set error.

In a recent Reddit Q&A on the /r/movies forum, Benedict Cumberbatch shared that his biggest on-set regret isn’t related to his role as Khan. He recounted being tricked by a playful prank from his co-stars. When a fan asked about his funniest work mistake, Cumberbatch revealed he once believed in a fake product called “Neutron Cream” while filming Star Trek. He clarified it happened off-camera, but still while at work.

During filming at the National Ignition Facility in California, Benedict Cumberbatch and the other actors were completely fooled by a playful prank orchestrated by co-star Simon Pegg. He convinced them with a made-up scientific story and a needless safety measure. You can see what happened in the video below.

You won’t believe this behind-the-scenes story! Apparently, while filming in the laser room, Simon Pegg totally pranked Zach Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and John Cho. He convinced them that they needed to put on this fake ‘Neutron cream’ to protect themselves from ‘neutron radiation’! Of course, it’s a completely made-up danger for the movie, but they actually fell for it! It’s hilarious to think they were slathering on cream because of something totally impossible in the first place.

It’s hard to say what was more amusing: the prankster’s convincing performance in pulling off the joke, or the fact that so many serious actors fell for it and ended up walking around with cream on their faces. It was a wonderfully chaotic moment, reminiscent of classic slapstick comedy, and undoubtedly created some unforgettable scenes on set.

It’s particularly amusing that Benedict Cumberbatch shared this story, considering his character Khan in Star Trek into Darkness was portrayed as a ruthless, emotionless villain. Even someone so powerful couldn’t avoid a little playful teasing! What really makes the prank great is how many people on set joined in. The makeup artist, Karen, even provided a fake ‘neutron cream,’ and the first assistant director, Tommy Gormley, jokingly suggested the actors jump around to counteract the ‘ion’ effects.

Following his story about the prank, Cumberbatch added that he frequently calls his fellow actors by their names while filming – something that always lightens the mood. However, he joked that repeating a mispronounced word – ‘penguin,’ in a nature documentary – was probably his most memorable on-set slip-up, especially knowing the internet would notice.

He was talking about the time he famously mispronounced the word “penguin” while narrating the documentary series Strange Islands. He struggled with the word, saying it incorrectly in many different ways. This mistake became a popular meme, and many viewers have joked about how such a clear error made it into the final cut of the show.

While Into Darkness is a somewhat divisive Star Trek film – particularly due to the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan – the strong connection between the actors has always been a highlight. A story about a playful prank involving “Neutron Cream” shows how much fun they had even when the cameras weren’t rolling. It’s a simple, enjoyable moment that reveals the cast genuinely enjoyed each other’s company.

I was a little bummed to hear the next Star Trek movie isn’t going to continue the story from the last few films – it sounds like they’re starting fresh with new characters. It’ll be directed by the team behind Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which is cool, but it’s still sad to see that storyline end. I guess we can always rewatch the older movies and remember all the fun behind-the-scenes stuff!

Even if another Kelvin film isn’t made, stories like these show us why people still love the actors and actresses involved.

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2025-11-22 17:44