Strange New Worlds’ Success Actually Makes Star Trek 4 More Exciting

Though the massive success of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds may seem problematic for the upcoming Star Trek 4, it actually makes the sequel even more exciting. The Star Trek franchise is one of the most well-loved and longest-running franchises of all time, with its modern incarnations arguably keeping Star Trek as strong as ever. As well as the movies of Star Trek‘s Kelvin Timeline, the Star Trek franchise also survives in its more traditional episodic format, with shows such as Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds redefining the franchise for the modern age.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds takes the premise of Star Trek: The Original Series to an interesting new level. Serving as a prequel to the original exploits of the Enterprise, Strange New Worlds features classic Star Trek characters such as Spock, Uhura, Christine Chapel, and James T. Kirk, and has also teased the appearance of Montgomery Scott all in its first season. Strange New Worlds‘ success is unrivaled, as it currently ranks as the best Star Trek series despite only having aired a single season. Praised for its storytelling and effective use of its talented cast, Strange New Worlds has proved a return to form for the franchise.

Though the movie universe of the Kelvin Timeline exists as part of a separate continuity, the success of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds actually improves the prospects of upcoming the sequel Star Trek 4. It has been suggested that Strange New Worlds‘ success makes Star Trek 4 more difficult to pull off, but in fact, it’s the opposite: the success of the series could translate to a huge boost for the movie franchise. As the two exist independently of one another, they’re not in any direct competition, but there are still many lessons that the Kelvin Timeline can learn from Strange New Worlds. As the series has proved hugely successful, it has created something of a template for Star Trek 4 to follow to ensure that long-time Star Trek fans enjoy the tone and story of the upcoming movie.

Strange New Worlds Has Revived Interest In The Original Series

Though Star Trek: The Original Series remains the beloved foundation of the entire franchise, the decades since its release have seen the world move on considerably, which in turn has left TOS feeling somewhat dated in comparison to newer series. However, as a prequel to The Original Series, Strange New Worlds has brought TOS back to prominence by revisiting the roots of the franchise and the iconic characters that made it so popular. In recasting a handful of the iconic roles of TOS, Strange New Worlds sets up a number of key connections that have helped to revive interest in Star Trek‘s history.

As Strange New Worlds serves as a prequel, many aspects of its stories tease or reference elements of The Original Series. By including subtle nods to classic Star Trek concealed behind its flashy visuals and compelling stories, Strange New Worlds has managed to delicately reignite the love for the early days of the franchise. This is something that links Strange New Worlds to the Kelvin Timeline, if only because their stories run practically concurrently in their respective timelines.

A Prime Universe Prequel Makes The Kelvin Timeline Better

By exploring the voyages of the Enterprise leading up to Kirk’s tenure as its captain, Strange New Worlds makes Star Trek‘s Kelvin Timeline better. Strange New Worlds has laid the foundation for the Prime Universe’s James T. Kirk to become part of the Enterprise’s mission, and in doing so, it has explored other iconic characters such as Spock and Uhura. This adds new layers to existing characters that were previously unseen and also enriches all versions of the characters across the different timelines.

As a prequel, Strange New Worlds also explores unseen elements of the Federation and of its allies and enemies, and though the two timelines aren’t connected, the series’ ideas could still inform the movies. For example, revisiting the Federation’s first contact with Romulans in generations for Strange New Worlds‘ “Balance of Terror” moment proved hugely successful from a narrative point of view, and that could indicate the way in which Star Trek 4 could approach a similar story. Allowing the events of the prequel series to inform the sequel in an unrelated timeline would need to be subtle, but Strange New Worlds explores many ideas that Star Trek 4 could definitely benefit from.

Different Formats Negate Comparisons Between SNW & Star Trek 4

With most Star Trek properties, unfavorable comparisons are the bane of new stories. Comparing different series to one another has long been one of the biggest points of contention among Star Trek‘s audience, but the many differences between Strange New Worlds and the Kelvin Timeline are significant enough to negate this issue. This is especially remarkable considering that they share multiple characters, but the alternate timelines and different formats are one of modern Star Trek‘s best assets.

It’s no coincidence that Strange New Worlds is Star Trek’s most popular show. Its inspirations are clear: it makes use of the episodic format of The Original Series while retaining the more polished visuals of Discovery. The episodic nature of Strange New Worlds makes it inherently different from the blockbusters of the Kelvin Timeline, and that degree of separation is vital for the continued success of the movie franchise. Despite being linked by the general thrust of their narrative and approximate place in their respective timelines, Strange New Worlds and the Kelvin Timeline are completely separate stories, and that’s absolutely key in continuing the success of the two respective properties.

SNW’s Modern Approach To Classic Trek Sets A Perfect Movie Template

The best part of Strange New Worlds is its approach to revamping classic Star Trek, and though Star Trek 4 should avoid recycling stories, it can follow the template established by the success of the show. By recreating the visuals of Star Trek: The Original Series with more modern flair, Strange New Worlds has achieved something that no other Star Trek property has fully achieved yet – it has recaptured the charm of The Original Series without holding itself back. The more modern visuals haven’t altered key designs, but simply made everything more polished and appropriate for today’s audiences, and it was a resounding success.

Should Star Trek 4 dial back the sleek and more impersonal visuals of the Kelvin Timeline in favor of the more vibrant hues of Strange New Worlds, it would help bring the movies closer to their original inspiration. What’s more, using a similar story idea for Star Trek 4 as those of Strange New Worlds – referencing classic Trek but still standing entirely separate from The Original Series – would help smooth over the issues of previous Kelvin Timeline movies. Though it may seem at a glance that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek 4 will be in direct competition, this isn’t likely to be the case: instead, the former should inform the latter on what works for modern Star Trek.