Star Trek 4: Is the Next Voyage Dead in Space?

Almost ten years after Star Trek Beyond, we finally have a pretty clear answer on Star Trek 4: it looks like the Kelvin crew’s big return is not happening. Not delayed. Not retooled. Just… done.

What changed

Paramount’s new leadership, now under Skydance’s David Ellison, is looking to reboot the film side with new faces. A recent industry report spells it out:

"The hope is to have a fresh 'Star Trek' movie, though the studio has moved on from the idea of bringing back Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and the rest of the ensemble from the J.J. Abrams reboot."

That lines up with what the new CEO has been saying publicly: Top Gun 3 and Star Trek are priorities. The catch is that 'Star Trek' now likely means a different cast and possibly a different era.

What that means for the Kelvin crew

If this holds, we’ve probably seen the last of Chris Pine’s Kirk, Zachary Quinto’s Spock, Karl Urban’s McCoy, Zoe Saldana’s Uhura, Simon Pegg’s Scotty, and John Cho’s Sulu on the big screen. The cast wanted one more go-round (and honestly, a proper send-off would’ve been nice), but the movie has been stuck in development purgatory for years. At a certain point, a clean slate starts to sound merciful.

How we got here (the short version)

• The first post-Beyond plan would have teamed Kirk back up with his father from the 2009 film’s opening. That version fell apart.
• Then came a carousel of new pitches and creative teams: Noah Hawley (now busy with Alien: Earth), Matt Shakman (off to make The Fantastic Four: First Steps), and yes, a swing from Quentin Tarantino (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood). None reached the launchpad.
• Meanwhile, a different film has been developing: a prequel set many decades before the 2009 movie. It’s lined up with Toby Haynes (Andor) directing, Seth Grahame-Smith writing, and producers Simon Kinberg and J.J. Abrams. The premise reportedly touches the creation of Starfleet and humanity’s first contact with alien life. That’s a big canvas and, if true, a very different flavor of Trek.

While the films stalled, TV went to warp

Paramount may have left the theatrical side idling, but Trek on the small screen has been busy: three live-action series (with another on the way), two animated series, and even a streaming movie. The brand hasn’t been dormant; it’s just been thriving in your living room instead of your local multiplex.

So, is Star Trek 4 dead?

All signs point to yes. The studio hasn’t announced a funeral, but moving on from Pine and company while actively developing a new film with a fresh setup pretty much tells the story. Frustrating? Sure. But given how long this has dragged on, starting fresh might be the only way we actually get a Star Trek movie back in theaters anytime soon.