Summary
The Kelvin TimelineStar Trek 4movie has been trapped in development hell for years at this point, but oneStar Trekactress is ready to come back when, or maybe if, production ever starts.
The J.J. AbramsStar Trekmovies, which all take place in an alternate timeline dubbed the Kelvin Timeline, were derailed byParamount’s small-screen rebootof the franchise in 2017. The last movie set in the timeline wasStar Trek Beyond, released in 2016. After its premiere, there was plenty of talk about the continuation of the series with an unnamed movie dubbed simplyStar Trek 4.That talk faded away as everyone’s focus turned first towardStar Trek: Discovery, thenStar Trek: Picard. Though fans have received sporadic yet promising updates aboutStar Trek 4over the past eight years, including the March 2024 announcement that yet another new writer was attached to the project, production on the movie has yet to start. In fact, Paramount still hasn’t even confirmed that the movie is happening.
Zoe Saldaña is All in For ‘Star Trek 4’
However, the continual delays haven’t stopped the actors who portrayed the iconicStar Trek: The Original Seriescharacters in the Kelvin Timeline from dreaming about reprising their roles. In a recent interview withVarietyabout her latest role inEmilia Pérez,Zoe Saldaña revealed that she’s already signed on forStar Trek 4and still wants to see it happen. Though she has yet to see a script for the movie, Saldaña said she has big dreams for the character she brought to life, Nyota Uhura. Specifically, she wants to see Uhura take on more responsibility and become a leadership figure for the Enterprise crew.
“She’s a xenolinguistics master, but I would like her doing something else.”
Saldaña also hopes the relationship between Uhura and Spock, the Enterprise’s Vulcan First Officer played by Zachary Quinto, gets some screen time if the movie ever makes it to production. However, the actress made it clear that she hasn’t heard anything new about the movie for a while, and she’s not getting too excited about the prospect until she’s got a script in her hands.
‘Star Trek 4’ Could Give Fans a Different Uhura
One of the best things aboutStar Trek’smyriad alternate timelines, alternate universes, and reboots is the ability to explore new directions for familiar characters.
Of all the characters inStar Trek: The Original Series, Uhura, then played by the late Nichelle Nichols, had the fewest opportunities for character development. While it was absolutely revolutionary to have a Black woman on the bridge of a starship, Uhura wasn’t much more than a glorified switchboard operator. She rarely went on away missions, and arguably, her most memorable moment in the entire series was when she was telepathically forced to kiss Captain Kirk.
However, Uhura’simpact on fanswas much bigger than her role onscreen. She inspired Whoopi Goldberg to become an actress. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. told Nichols she had to stay on the show for all the Black girls she would inspire. Countless real-life astronauts have credited the role with inspiring their careers.
Subsequent portrayals of Uhura, including Saldaña’s, have given the character the ability to grow into the powerhouse she could have been ifStar Trek: TOShadn’t been made in the 1960s. Saldaña’s Uhura is an empowered genius who fiercely advocates for herself and others, goes on all the away missions, saves the day, and gets the guy.
Celia Rose Gooding’s portrayal of Uhura inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsis different as well. She gives fans a very human, unsure ensign who still gets opportunities Nichols' Uhura couldn’t have dreamed of getting, including rocking her natural hair on the bridge of the Enterprise. Gooding pushed for this aesthetic decision after she found out Nichols wasn’t allowed to wear her hair natural onTOS.
These new portrayals of Uhura have injected so much depth into a character who always could have been so much more. If fans ever do getStar Trek 4, there are so many opportunities for Saldaña to expand on Uhura’s character. And if Saldaña has her say, it sounds like we could even see a Captain Uhura in the Kelvin Timeline too.
