Breaking Boundaries: The Astonishing Future Star Trek Faces
Prepare for an uncertain future! Dive into the 10 harsh realities Star Trek faces in 2024, including potential show cancellations, box office challenges, fan demands, and the lingering absence of beloved DS9 cast members Will the franchise survive?
Summary
Despite several successes in 2023, the future of Star Trek remains uncertain as production halts due to ongoing strikes and financial concerns arise.
Star Trek enthusiasts will have to patiently await the arrival of Discovery season 5 in 2024, as it is expected to be the lone fresh addition to the Star Trek lineup owing to ongoing strikes impacting other productions.
The cessation of Star Trek: Prodigy and the obstacles encountered by Star Trek 4 in theaters underscore the obstacles and potential hazards that the franchise confronts in the upcoming years.
2023 has marked a remarkable year for Star Trek, although uncertainties lie ahead for its future. The franchise experienced notable triumphs this year, such as Patrick Stewart's acclaimed farewell in Star Trek: Picard season 3 and the favorable ratings of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2. Moreover, Star Trek: Lower Decks' highly anticipated fourth season will make its premiere through special theatrical screenings worldwide, further enhancing the franchise's positive reputation. Regrettably, despite these accomplishments, the Star Trek franchise encountered significant setbacks in 2023, indicating potential challenges in 2024.
The ongoing strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) have brought Hollywood production to a standstill, as screenwriters and actors demand fairer compensation from studios. Illustrating one of the central issues in these ongoing disputes, Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 was abruptly canceled, presumably due to financial concerns. This chilling decision implies that despite its numerous achievements in 2023, Star Trek's future may not be as secure as it seems. As the franchise enters 2024, it must confront the harsh realities that lay before it.
10 Discovery Season 5 Could Be The Only New Star Trek Show In 2024
The countdown is on for Star Trek: Discovery season 5, which is scheduled to premiere on Paramount+ in early 2024, marking the end of a long wait. However, there is a possibility that the season could face further delays due to ongoing strikes affecting promotional efforts. Regardless of these circumstances, it is expected to be the only new Star Trek series airing in 2024, as strike action has disrupted the production of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. Although the animators working on Star Trek: Lower Decks belong to a different union, the strike has left no one available to provide the voices for the characters in season 5. The longer the strikes persist, the more challenging it will be to meet the deadline for the release of new Star Trek content in 2024.
9 Star Trek: Prodigy's Cancelation Was Incredibly Short-Sighted
Ideally, the strikes will be resolved swiftly, allowing for the release of new Star Trek content by the end of 2024. However, it is a reality that by January, there will already be 20 completed episodes of Star Trek: Prodigy, with no destination in sight. Considering the probable shortage of new Trek in 2024, these 20 new episodes continuing Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the USS Voyager-A's storyline would be a much-needed blessing. Regrettably, due to Paramount's decision, they will be unable to fill the void in their Star Trek schedules with Prodigy season 2.
8 Star Trek 4 Faces A Huge Challenge At The Box Office
7 Michelle Yeoh's Section 31 Movie Is A Compromise Not A Strategy For The Future
: Star Trek Beyond was released over 7 years ago, and fans have been eagerly awaiting news of a sequel. Unfortunately, Star Trek 4, which was originally scheduled for Christmas 2023, was removed from Paramount's upcoming releases, indicating that the project is being reworked. The film industry has experienced significant changes in the past seven years, further impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on movie theaters. Chris Pine has mentioned that Paramount desires to transform Star Trek into a Marvel-style franchise, but considering the overwhelming success of standalone films like Oppenheimer and Barbie in 2023, it appears that audiences are seeking a break from expansive cinematic universes. That being said, it would be more advantageous for Star Trek 4 to be a self-contained space adventure that capitalizes on the exceptional talent of the existing cast.
The announcement of Star Trek: Section 31 marked the beginning of a series of streaming exclusive movies. However, the decision to transform it from a TV show to a movie can be attributed to Michelle Yeoh's heightened recognition after winning an Oscar for Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. Enlisting Yeoh for a Star Trek movie is thus a more feasible task compared to securing her commitment to an ongoing series. This compromise allows Yeoh to fulfill her long-standing desire to reprise the role of Emperor Philippa Georgiou, but it is not a sufficient foundation for producing streaming exclusive Star Trek movies every two years.
6 Paramount+ Will Have To Work Hard If They Want Live-Action Janeway
There's always the possibility that Paramount may want to replicate the success of Star Trek: Picard season 3 with another show centered around a respected Captain from the franchise's history. Even though that's essentially the premise of Star Trek: Prodigy, they might opt for Star Trek: Janeway as their next spinoff. However, the cancellation of Prodigy will undoubtedly disappoint Kate Mulgrew, who may require additional persuasion as a result. The impact of Prodigy's cancellation on the relationship with one of Star Trek's most beloved Captains serves as yet another example of the short-sightedness of such a decision.
5 Cost Cutting Could Mean No New Star Trek Properties
The worrisome sign for the Star Trek franchise comes from the high-profile write-offs and cost-cutting measures happening across multiple streaming services. This situation raises concerns about the fate of Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, which might be the first casualty in a series of cancellations that includes Star Trek: Discovery. Paramount's decision to cancel Discovery after season 5, which was not originally intended to be the finale, suggests a shift away from the less popular Star Trek titles. As studios prioritize cost reduction, they tend to avoid taking risks, which could pose challenges for projects like Terry Matalas' Star Trek: Legacy, despite the overwhelming support from fans and stars.
4 Star Trek Already Had A Starfleet Academy Show
3 Chris Pine And Paul Wesley's Kirks Will Have To Compete
Starfleet Academy will present the growth and development of young cadets as they strive to become accomplished Starfleet officers. In contrast, Prodigy showcased a group of youngsters who, having familiarized themselves with Starfleet's principles, demonstrated their worthiness to attend the Academy and are now embarking on their educational journey. It is intriguing that Starfleet Academy received approval, given its proximity to Prodigy. It is probable that the Starfleet Academy show will target a more mature audience, whereas the beauty of Prodigy lay in its ability to captivate both children and their parents. On paper, a Star Trek series centered around young adults, ostensibly intended for that demographic, may not possess the same broad appeal.
Since Star Trek Beyond was released seven years ago, the franchise has introduced new actors Paul Wesley and Ethan Peck as Kirk and Spock respectively. This poses a potential challenge for Star Trek 4 at the box office as it needs to distinguish itself from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The television series has done an exceptional job of capturing the aesthetic and atmosphere of the original Star Trek series, making it imperative for the upcoming J.J. Abrams-produced Trek movie to offer something remarkably distinct. The Kelvin Timeline can certainly enable Star Trek 4 to explore uncharted territory, but it can no longer solely rely on the allure of showcasing a youthful Kirk and Spock, especially with the older age of the movie's cast and audiences already obtaining their Star Trek origin story from elsewhere.
2 Star Trek Can't Ignore The Deep Space Nine Cast Forever
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's cast stands out due to their absence from modern Star Trek. Despite the reappearance of Michael Dorn as Captain Worf and the crossover episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks featuring Deep Space Nine, there hasn't been much connection between DS9 and modern Star Trek. In the past, Alex Kurtzman has discussed approaching a DS9 revival cautiously, considering how well it concluded, which is understandable. However, the return of various characters from Star Trek: Voyager and the growing references to Star Trek: Enterprise only accentuate the absence of DS9.
1 Fans Want Star Trek: Prodigy And Legacy More Than Section 31 And Starfleet Academy
The response to Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and Star Trek: Section 31, both greenlit projects, pales in comparison to the overwhelming enthusiasm for the hypothetically envisioned Star Trek: Legacy. While it would be unfair to say that there was no demand for the two spinoff projects, it is intriguing to note the comparatively subdued engagement when contrasted with the online petitions rallying for the preservation of Star Trek: Prodigy and the creation of Star Trek: Legacy. Considering that both Prodigy and Legacy further expand the universe established during Star Trek's highly regarded golden age in the 1990s, it is understandable why these projects hold greater allure than spinoffs originating from the lesser acclaimed Star Trek: Discovery.
