This is, of course, just a rumor, but it’s fun to think what kind of jokes we could all come up with should Tom Cruise (pictured, left), a self-professed fan of the Star Trek franchise, and of Leonard Nimoy’s Spock character in particular (huh, wonder why that is?), actually joins the case in a brief, uncredited cameo, as he’s wont to do in other movies. MSNBC reports that Cruise, a friend of Trek 11 director J.J. Abrams, recently visited the Trek set in hopes of meeting Nimoy, but that he won’t be doing a cameo. Or at least, that’s what they want us to think.

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“Tom visited the set of the movie and chatted with J.J. Abrams,” a source close to the actor said. The last time Cruise was spotted on a set for a movie he wasn’t said to be signed on for — “Tropic Thunder” — it turned out he had a small role. Unfortunately for Cruise fans, the visit to the “Star Trek” set was just a social call — Cruise and Abrams are friends, and apparently, Cruise is a fan of the television series and in particular, Mr. Spock.

“He asked J.J. if there’s a way he can meet Leonard Nimoy. He said he’d always really respected his work,” said the source.

So according to the story, no cameo for Cruise. Wink wink.

Still, I could imagine all the “Cruise in space” jokes, using his Scientology “religion” as impetus, that would be totally worth it if Cruise did get an uncredited cameo in Star Trek 11. Oh, what could have been…