Star Trek Needs To Stop Making Movies For So Many Reasons

The fact that the Star Trek movies focused on new adventures of old characters like Kirk and Spock is no coincidence. The franchise was nearly dead after the cancellation of Enterprise, and Paramount wanted to get the world’s attention by utilizing some familiar faces that everyone already knew and loved. The strategy worked (for a time, at least), but it also highlights the problem with creating new Star Trek movies.

At this point, if we get yet another film focusing on The Original Series crew, it will seem like the franchise is out of ideas, but the next Star Trek movie realistically can’t focus on new characters (like those in Discovery or Strange New Worlds) because the new characters’ shows aren’t nearly as popular as The Original Series or The Next Generation ever were. Presumably, that’s why the next Star Trek “movie” will be a Section 31 film streamed on Paramount Plus: the made-for-TV movie will have a lighter budget and premiere where existing Discovery fans can enjoy it without leaving the house. 

Honestly, this is a great model for Star Trek movies going forward, and a blend of TV shows and made-for-TV movies means that the franchise can have its Plomeek soup and eat it, too.