Star Trek’s Next Wave Of Movies And Shows Revealed
As Star Trek nears its 58th birthday this year, the franchise’s journey through the final frontier now spans more than 900 episodes and 13 feature films—a whole 28 days’ worth of content—comprising an unparalleled narrative experience. Now, that journey through the oceans of space is set to expand further with a series of upcoming releases for both TV and cinema.
More Star Trek Than Marvel
There has never been more Star Trek, and we’d go as far as to say that the Star Trek universe is actually more foundationally solid than even the MCU, with its numerous interconnected releases. As things currently are, Disney is winding their production down with fewer releases, but Star Trek is going strong and steady with upcoming releases like the final season of Discovery, the upcoming Section 31 movie, Starfleet Academy, Strange New Worlds Season 3, and two potential movie releases, one to serve as an origin story, and another to provide a final chapter to the current trilogy.
The Star Trek Renaissance
So, it’s quite obvious that Star Trek is undergoing its own renaissance, following a years-long hiatus after the theatrical release of 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis, which was not only a box office failure that barely managed to recover its production budget but its also regarded as the franchise’s worst release. Fortunately, that all changed following the release of 2009’s Star Trek movie and its sequels, which really re-invigorated the franchise, leading to the eventual release of Star Trek: Discovery in 2017—twelve years after the Enterprise series had concluded.
Discovery Opened The Door
Star Trek: Discovery, however, wasn’t a perfect release; it was loved by some and hated by others, but despite the heavy criticism, it did open the door to other fantastic releases, like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Short Treks, and the upcoming Section 31 movie. Strange New Worlds has since become the centerpiece of the franchise, with Anson Mount’s Captain Christopher Pike at the helm of the USS Enterprise, along with younger versions of Spock and Uhura.
The Success Of Strange New Worlds
Mount’s own reflection on his role as the Captain of the Enterprise reveals a full-circle moment in which the actor has the opportunity to bring to life all the adventures he used to play out as a very young fan of Star Trek. Mount stated that he “had this immediate flashback to playing ‘Star Trek’ as a kid” when he first sat in the iconic Captain’s chair. Ultimately, the show’s success can be attributed to the careful balancing of the old with the new, which managed to appease the older fandom and reel in new eyes to the franchise.
More Shows Coming
The recent additions to the Star Trek franchise also showcase the same balancing act, embodying the franchise’s ability to, once again, reinvent itself while maintaining its core values and optimism that have defined it ever since its inception in 1966. Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 premieres on April 4, Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 and Star Trek: Prodigy Season 2 premiere later in 2024, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 is in production to be released on Paramount+. No official announcement has been made about the upcoming films.
Source: Variety
