By Drew Dietsch
| Published
Star Trek 4 is the kind of movie that is seemingly always about to get back into the swing of development. Over the years, we’ll keep hearing the occasional update or new change in creative leadership, and fans will once again become excited at the prospect of another Star Trek movie that will close out the reboot universe and end things on a happy note.
But with almost ten years between the last film and this proposed final entry, it’s time to admit that Star Trek 4 is better off never getting made at all.
The Kelvinverse Is Cooked
Star Trek hit the cineplex in 2009 and reenergized the dormant franchise by injecting it with J.J. Abrams’ brand of hyperkinetic action spectacle. Over a decade removed from that movie, we’ve had an entire new span of Star Trek shows. Even though some of them took inspiration from the aesthetic of the Kelvinverse, they carved out their own identities and established more new directions for the franchise.
Star Trek 4 feels old hat at this point. The Kelvinverse was an attempt to reboot the franchise for new viewers. But with the success of projects like Star Trek: Lower Decks, the third season of Star Trek: Picard, or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds pleasing longtime fans and also finding new ones, it doesn’t feel like there’s a huge contingency clamoring for more exploration into the reboot universe. What else is left to explore with that particular take on the property? With so much time since the last entry, the Star Trek franchise has passed by Star Trek 4 and kept moving forward. Going back doesn’t make a ton of sense.
There’s Already A Solid Sendoff
Star Trek 4 is being positioned as the intended sendoff for the reboot cast and the Kelvinverse. However, Star Trek Beyond actually looks like a decent final mission for that crew. Obviously, it isn’t meant to be but it ends on the right note with everyone together as they watch the construction of the new Enterprise-A.
Sadly, the death of Anton Yelchin also hung over Star Trek Beyond as he passed away after the movie finished shooting. The last scene with all the crew together and toasting to absent friends also seems to act as a farewell to Yelchin. With his unavoidable absence in Star Trek 4, it makes a lot more sense to have Star Trek Beyond be the last outing for this crew.
Failure Is An Option
Probably the biggest reason to avoid Star Trek 4 getting made is simply that it has a real chance of failing in multiple ways. Of course, it could end up being an unsatisfying story and leave the Kelvinverse crew with a poor last ride. Frankly, they already have one huge miss with Star Trek Into Darkness, and another movie on that level of quality would be horrendous.
The other big and even likely failure for Star Trek 4 is at the box office. Each entry in the Kelvinverse series has made less and less at the domestic box office. It doesn’t seem like regular audiences are enthused at the idea of Star Trek at the movie theater. The fanbase is locked in to the streaming series but that doesn’t look like it will translate to a blockbuster success at the box office. And the last thing the franchise needs from a perception standpoint is a big flop.
Would it be great if Star Trek 4 got made and was wonderful? Of course! But the odds are stacked so highly against it. Better to leave things how they are and look to the future of the franchise.
