There’s a new Star Trek movie in the works, and that opens the door to explore various eras in the franchise timeline that are underutilized. Paramount has decided to forgo Star Trek 4 in favor of a completely new vision that won’t involve any of the established characters. While this is a tricky proposition, it is also an exciting opportunity.
Though it might be best to just leave the Star Trek movies alone, Paramount is eager to keep the money train rolling. The current era of the franchise has been obsessed with nostalgia, exploring familiar periods in the timeline and even bringing beloved characters back as well. However, this goes against the franchise’s core theme of discovery.
Despite 60 years, numerous shows, and over a dozen movies, there are still parts of the Star Trek timeline that have been neglected. These periods can be the perfect catalyst for exciting new stories that can get Star Trek back to its roots. Since the final frontier is nearly endless, so too are the options for Paramount’s new movie project.
The Lost Years (2293-2364)
There were clearly a lot of changes in the Federation between the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country and the beginning of Captain Jean Luc Picard’s tenure aboard the Enterprise. This period has largely been untouched in Star Trek media, and there’s an opportunity to examine this transformative era.
The normalization of relations with the Klingons is one key change, and Star Trek VI only introduced the idea while TNG existed in the aftermath of those changes. The new movie could deeply examine the path to peace between the Federation and its former foes, a road that undoubtedly had plenty of bumps.
Star Trek: Section 31 takes place during this era.
It’s unclear how the Federation functioned without a stalwart like Kirk aboard its flagship. The Enterprise is the obvious go-to ship in Star Trek canon, and a lot must have happened between Kirk and Picard’s tenures. Keeping a recognizable ship might be a good way to get casual fans to watch, even if it’s an entirely new situation.
Even if the movie overlapped with the events of The Next Generation, there was a lot going on outside the events of the show. The Battle of Wolf 359 shaped the trajectory of the Federation for years, and a movie could explore other sides of that clash with the Borg. The movie could use action without betraying Star Trek‘s principles.
The Dominion War (2373-2375)
Though it was only a two-year span in the larger Star Trek universe, The Dominion War remains one of the most impactful conflicts in the franchise. It exposed fundamental flaws in the logic of the Federation, while challenging the idealism of Star Trek. While Deep Space Nine dedicated hours of TV to the war, there’s always room for more.
The war was so huge that a dozen Star Trek movies could be made about it. Even if the war was merely the backdrop to the story, it could add instant intrigue and lend a bit of grandeur to the film. War has never been the primary focus of Star Trek, yet it offers compelling themes to be explored.
DS9 showed how Starfleet and its allies responded, but the war touched nearly every corner of the Alpha Quadrant. How did exploration vessels continue to trek the stars with deadly enemies breathing down their necks? How did civilians grapple with the desecration of their newfound ideals of peace and non-violence? All those questions and more could be answered.
Or, should the new Star Trek movie opt for a less thoughtful approach, war stories are perfect platforms for explosive action. Modern film technology could bring some of the war’s most important battles to life, and the opportunity for abundant spectacle is evident. All this could happen without having to overlap with familiar characters.
The Post-Nemesis Era (2379-2399)
Though shows like Picard and Discovery have ventured past the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, it has remained the latest point in the timeline that any of the movies have explored. Assuming the new movie is willing to ignore the events of the aforementioned series, the post-Nemesis era is one of the most intriguing in all of Star Trek.
With yet another legendary flagship captain riding off into the sunset (Picard), and a war just in the rearview mirror, the Federation is in a complex place after 2379. The new Star Trek movie has limitless possibilities during this particular era, and it could introduce a new threat or examine old foes in a new light.
Relations with the Klingons could break down, or the Borg could arrive to threaten the Alpha Quadrant again. With an essentially clean slate, the movie could create new characters to fill the void left behind by the retiring TNG crew. Furthermore, the movie could shape the direction of the entire franchise as it presses into the 25th century.
The Early Federation Years (2161-2256)
The final season of Star Trek: Enterprise introduced the foundation of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, but the show was never given the chance to explore the aftermath. There’s an almost 100-year gap between the founding and the start of Star Trek: Discovery, meaning the early Federation years are ripe for deeper exploration.
With new technology springing up daily, ships getting faster, and new allies joining the ranks each year, the first 100 years of the Federation were busy times. Those times also offer unique challenges for Starfleet crews, and a myriad of movie plots could be culled from those ideas alone. Conflicts abound, but so too do opportunities for learning.
Though the new Star Trek movie will likely be an action-packed romp (considering the screenwriters), it need not be a mindless popcorn flick. If it’s set in the early Federation period, it can help explain the origins of some of the most important philosophical tenets of the entire Star Trek franchise.
Such an exciting and turbulent period is the perfect backdrop for those stories, as long as the film takes its time with the heady ideas that anchor the fictional universe. Gene Roddenberry’s vision for Star Trek is long gone, but a new movie could help make some of his ideas fresh with a modern overhaul that doesn’t betray the tone.
The End Of The Five-Year Mission (2269-2285)
Though Star Trek: The Motion Picture fits in the middle, the years between 2269 and 2285 are relatively unexplored in Star Trek canon. TOS season three concludes in 2269 and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan picks up in 2285. A lot changed in the middle, and it would be interesting to see how those changes happened.
With so much focus on Kirk and the Enterprise crew during those years, the upcoming Star Trek movie could show what happened elsewhere in the Federation. When did the ships and uniforms transform from colorful and vibrant to drab and utilitarian? What philosophical changes within the Federation solidified the future that would eventually come to fruition during the Lost Years?
There’s plenty of room for conflict since the Romulans and Klingons were still actively hostile toward Federation forces, and recognizable foes are always a safe bet. It’s a well-known period in Star Trek history so it could appeal to casual fans by using nostalgic imagery. However, it could still make a positive impact on the Star Trek timeline.
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy weren’t the only heroes in the Federation at the tail-end of the Enterprise‘s five-year mission, so the post-TOS/pre-movie years wouldn’t be a boring prospect. No matter what era the movie eventually settles on, it’s important that it stays true to the principles of Star Trek while making a larger-than-life adventure befitting the big screen.
- Created by
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Gene Roddenberry
- First Film
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Star Trek: The Motion Picture
- First TV Show
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Star Trek: The Original Series
- First Episode Air Date
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September 8, 1966
- Cast
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William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Deforest Kelley, James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Jonathan Frakes, Patrick Stewart, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton, Wil Wheaton, Avery Brooks, Nana Visitor, Rene Auberjonois, Alexander Siddig, Cirroc Lofton, Armin Shimerman, Colm Meaney, Terry Farrell, Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Jeri Ryan, Robert Duncan McNeill, Robert Picardo, Ethan Phillips, Garrett Wang, Jolene Blalock, Connor Trinneer, Dominic Keating, Scott Bakula, Linda Park, John Billingsley, Anthony Montgomery, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sonequa Martin-Green, Mary Wiseman, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Oyin Oladejo, Emily Coutts, Jess Bush, Christina Chong, Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romijn, Michelle Yeoh
- TV Show(s)
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Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: Short Treks, Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek Lower Decks, Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Star Trek is one of pop culture’s biggest multimedia franchises, spanning multiple movies, TV shows, books, comics, video games, and various other media. The franchise was created by Gene Roddenberry and started with the 1960s TV series starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy. Over the decades, several equally popular series have come out since as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Discovery.
