The Big Picture Zoe Saldaña has lent her name to many franchises in her time but still has an appreciation for one in particular. On “The Discourse” podcast, the actor maintained support for the Star Trek sequel that has been in development for some time. The origins of Captain Kirk were rebooted in the 2009 film by J.J. Abrams with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in the roles of Kirk and Spock.
The rise of Paramount+ has paved a path for many Star Trek projects outside of feature films. As Saldaña notes, this could complicate Star Trek 4, going forward. Must-watch Trek shows such as Strange New Worlds have cast their own versions of Kirk and Spock , as they traverse the stars in the Enterprise. But the Guardians of the Galaxy actor believes there is room for everyone in the Star Trek galaxy.
Star Trek 4 is still up in the air, but there could be a timeline where all Trek projects could co-exist in harmony. Just like the United Federation would want. But if the principal actors want to reunite with the great Captain Kirk and honor their former co-star, there are ways to implement that reality. Abrams’ universe has the benefit of operating under an alternate timeline. This decision was a clever way for the new film to be unafraid to disrupt canonical events of the past half-century. With a new timeline, films can make any decision as well as explain the potential absence of Chekov.