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Space. The final frontier. SinceStar Trek: The Original Seriespremiered on Jun 29, 2025, audiences have been captivated by the idea of a bright future where traveling to strange new worlds with advanced technology was possible. For some fans,Star Trekisn’t just a franchise; it’s an entire universe of possibility. Part of that is thecool tech, including some of the starships. Another part is the vast array of alien cultures and intergalatic politics. However, one of the greatest elements of theStar Trekfranchise is its characters. Even casual viewers have at least a cursory knowledge of Captain James T. Kirk, Spock, and Uhura. Those classic characters became even more prominent with the introduction of theStar TrekKelvin Timeline films.
It may be hard to believe now, with variousStar Trekprojects popping up every few months. But back in 2005, whenStar Trek: Enterprisewas canceled, there was a dearth of Star Trek material for years. This changed when the characters fromThe Original Serieswere rebooted into the Kelvin Timeline films.At the time of writing, the Kelvin Timeline films includeStar Trek(2009),Star Trek Into Darkness(2013), andStar Trek Beyond(2016).
These films exist separately from the “prime” timeline. That way, the stories that fans have come to love fromTOSand beyond are still canon, while at the same time, different versions of these iconic characters could go on new adventures as different versions of themselves. The boost that the Kelvin films gave the characters ofTOScould also be implemented in a new film featuring the characters ofStar Trek: The Next Generation.
The Kelvin Timeline Gave Fresh Faces to Familiar Characters
One of the great things about the Kelvin Timeline films is that it gave the opportunity for the classicTOScrew to be re-imagined by younger actors. For decades, those characters have been synonymous with their actors, and for good reason. There’s no denying thatTOSwas an influential and groundbreaking series.
However, with a franchise as long-running as Star Trek, different actors playing the star characters is par for the course. After all, who doesn’t have fun speculating onwho would make a great James Bondor arguing over the best Batman portrayal? Showcasing the talents of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, and many others gave the franchise a boost in the public eye. Classic characters were rebooted for fans and in a way that was accessible for new audiences. Since then, Spock has been played by Ethan Peck onDiscovery,Short Treks, andStrange New Worlds. Kirk is now played by Paul Wesley inStrange New Worlds. With this in mind, why not do the same for the beloved characters ofThe Next Generation?
Potential to See TNG Characters in Their Early Days
Picardand theupcoming (hopefully soon)Legacyare followingTNGcharacters after the end ofTNG,propelling their stories forward. Even so, the original run ofTNGended 30 years ago. Younger audiences are not as familiar with the characters. Reintroducing them with younger actors might be the key to jumpstarting interest inTNG,and would provide an opportunity to explore these characters in their younger days.
What’s more, existing media has already laid the groundwork for exploring these characters' histories. Picard, for example, often talks about how cocky he was in his younger years. It would be captivating to watch him grow into the celebrated captain (later admiral) he’s widely known for being. Worf also has a fascinating background with a lot oflore that could be explored. And what about the early days of Jack R. Crusher and Dr. Beverly Crusher? A film series has the potential to expand on these possibilities, revitalizing the beloved characters.
Is An Alternate Timeline Necessary?
With all that said, were there to be a rebootTNGfilm series, would there be a need for an alternative timeline? Would the film series exist in the prime timeline, the Kelvin timeline, or would an entirely new timeline be necessary? This would depend on how much the writers want to play around the different versions of the characters. LikePicard,the film series could be set in the prime timeline if the writers intend to stick to the previously laid out canon. (Although, that’s not to say that even in the prime timeline, Picard wasn’taffected by the events of the Kelvin timeline.) However, if they want to stray, it would be intriguing to see how theTNGcrew are changed by the Kelvin timeline. As for a new timeline, that could be tricky, considering what has already been mapped out. However, if done well, it could work. There is anaudience appetite for multiverse stories, after all.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t appear likeStar Trekis going to stop developing projects anytime soon. That leaves fans with plenty of room to dream. What young actors today would make a great William Riker or Data or Geordi La Forge? Surely, there’s young talent out there that could rise to the occasion and bring more TNG stories to the big screen. Until then, fans will just have to imagine.
