Revolutionary Discoveries That Altered Star Trek's History, Confirmed by Showrunner

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Season 2, Episode 3 of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds titled "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow." Co-showrunner Akiva Goldsman confirms that a significant alteration to Star Trek's timeline and canon occurred in this episode. In this installment, Lt. La'an Noonien-Singh and an alternate reality version of Captain James T. Kirk are transported back in time to 21st-century Toronto. They uncover a plot by the Romulans to change history and prevent humanity from venturing into space. La'an discovers that her supervillain ancestor Khan, who is just a young boy, serves as the temporal focal point. By protecting Khan from assassination, La'an saves history, but it also results in a change to the Star Trek canon.

Akiva Goldsman, in an interview with CinemaBlend, confirms that the portrayal of a young Khan in 21st-century Toronto in Season 2, Episode 3 of Strange New Worlds is indeed a revision of established Star Trek canon. Goldsman discusses how and why the show has made adjustments to major historical events such as the Eugenics Wars and World War III, moving their dates forward so they have not yet taken place. His quote can be found below.

What Strange New Worlds' Timeline Change Means For Star Trek Canon

This is a necessary revision as disregarding it would be illogical, or it would place Star Trek outside the boundaries of our own universe... By the way, this occurrence took place in Season 1, so it is not a problem specific to Season 2. It is actually a matter in the pilot episode. Our intention is for Star Trek to portray a future that inspires us. We aspire to envision ourselves as members of the Starfleet and citizens of the Federation. I believe this is the essence of enjoyment, to a certain extent. Hence, in order to maintain Star Trek within our timeframe, we continuously advance the dates. At some point, this may become unfeasible. Nevertheless, if we were to assert that the Eugenics Wars transpired in the 90s, it would severely limit our ability to aspire towards a better real world.

The Star Trek canon, starting from The Original Series, has established that Khan Noonien-Singh, portrayed by Ricardo Montalban, and the Eugenics Wars took place in the 1990s. Additionally, World War III occurred in the mid-21st century but concluded by 2063, which coincided with humanity's initial encounter with the Vulcans. However, Akiva Goldsman refers to Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' reimagining as a "correction," as it shifts the timelines. According to the revised canon of Strange New Worlds, Khan was actually born in the 21st century, and the Eugenics Wars along with World War III have not yet transpired. Furthermore, these events may now potentially be intertwined.

Sera, played by Adelaide Kane, explains that the Romulans have covertly infiltrated Earth and manipulated human history, resulting in significant historical events such as the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Chernobyl disaster. These actions were intended to prevent the advancement of the human race in space exploration. However, time itself is reacting against these alterations, causing key events to occur later than originally planned, thus completely changing Khan's history and even making him Canadian. These changes have a profound impact on the established Star Trek canon but are a creative way by the creators of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to maintain the franchise's aspirational nature. It is hoped that there is a comprehensive plan in place to address the revised history in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and its implications for the overall franchise. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 can be streamed on Paramount+ on Thursdays.

Source: CinemaBlend