Through no fault of their own, the cast of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies has been wasted in the seven years since the release of Star Trek Beyond. While Star Trek 4 continues to languish in development hell, the cast of the Kelvin Timeline movies have seen their careers go from strength to strength. Roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and James Cameron's Avatar movies have made Uhura actress Zoe Saldana the second-highest-grossing actress in Hollywood. While Scotty actor Simon Pegg has become an integral part of Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible franchise.
These high-profile roles would surely be enough to guarantee an audience for a fourth Star Trek movie with the Kelvin Timeline cast, but no such movie has been forthcoming. Chris Pine wants to do Star Trek 4, and there's a desire by the rest of the cast to him. The only thing standing in the way of a new Star Trek movie set in the Kelvin Timeline appears to be the studio themselves, who have apparently kept the cast at arm's length amidst a struggle to keep hold of a director and find a workable script.
J.J. Abrams’ Movie Cast Has Been Wasted Since Star Trek Beyond
Star Trek's Kelvin Timeline movies may have their flaws, but the quality of the cast is indisputable. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto's Kirk and Spock were more antagonistic than their Prime Universe counterparts, but their portrayals made sense in the context of the dramatic changes made to the timeline by Nero (Eric Bana). Meanwhile, Karl Urban's Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy was the standout, as his channeling of the legendary DeForest Kelley was uncanny.
In the seven years since the end of Star Trek Beyond, the Kelvin Timeline cast have been stood down, while brand new Prime Universe versions of Kirk (Paul Wesley), Spock (Ethan Peck), and Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) have all featured on TV in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. The longer that Star Trek 4 remains unmade, the more likely it is that audiences will see new versions of Scotty, Sulu, and Bones in Strange New Worlds. Unceremoniously replacing the younger Kelvin Timeline cast with their Prime counterparts on TV is a real waste of the actors' talents, not to mention the potential stories that Star Trek 4 could tell.
Why J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek 4 Still Needs To Happen
The ending of Star Trek Beyond suggested further adventures for the crew of the Kelvin Timeline's USS Enterprise, as Spock held a photograph of the aged Prime Universe Enterprise crew. The implication was that this universe's Kirk and Spock could last for as long as their Prime counterparts. And yet, those further adventures never came, for a multitude of production issues. However, the fact remains that there's a desire from the cast, and a Star Trek audience, to see those adventures continue, even if it's just for one last daring mission for an Star Trek 4.
If Star Trek 4 was to reflect the real time that's ed since Beyond, it would line up with the end of Enterprise-A's second five-year mission. This would be a perfect opportunity to reflect on a decade's worth of changes in the Kelvin Timeline, reflecting how they've impacted each member of the Kelvin Timeline crew. This time jump would also help to establish the differences between Chris Pine's older Captain Kirk and Paul Wesley's younger Lt. James T. Kirk. The strongest element of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies has always been its casting, and so it would be a huge disappointment if that cast doesn't get the chance to say goodbye to theater audiences in one final adventure.
