Zoe Saldaña has lent her name to many franchises in her time but still has an appreciation for one in particular. On “The Discourse” podcast, the actor maintained support for the Star Trek sequel that has been in development for some time. The origins of Captain Kirk were rebooted in the 2009 film by J.J. Abrams with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in the roles of Kirk and Spock. Subsequent films varied in critical reception, but the desire for a fourth film in the franchise has not waned.

“I still have hope,” Saldaña stated, who played Uhura in the reboot films. “I had a wonderful experience through and through and through the three times that I was a part of that team.”

The rise of Paramount+ has paved a path for many Star Trek projects outside of feature films. As Saldaña notes, this could complicate Star Trek 4, going forward. Must-watch Trek shows such as Strange New Worlds have cast their own versions of Kirk (Paul Wesley) and Spock (Ethan Peck), as they traverse the stars in the Enterprise. But the Guardians of the Galaxy actor believes there is room for everyone in the Star Trek galaxy.

“I know that they’re always trying to sort of aim to wrangle everybody together, but I also know that Paramount is working on a new sort of fresh take on ‘Star Trek,’ which I think is such a wonderful franchise that should live for a very long time, whether or not us as the original remake cast can come back. I don’t know, but I certainly hope so.”

Star Trek 4 is still up in the air, but there could be a timeline where all Trek projects could co-exist in harmony. Just like the United Federation would want.

‘Star Trek 4’ Can Still Operate In An Alternate Universe

It has been almost a decade since the third film in the franchise, Star Trek Beyond, premiered. The movie could have been a satisfying conclusion to the series as all the characters come together in unity. The film would also be the final entry for Anton Yelchin, who died at 27 after an auto incident at his home. Preserving without Chekov would undoubtedly be a sad undertaking.

But if the principal actors want to reunite with the great Captain Kirk and honor their former co-star, there are ways to implement that reality. Abrams’ universe has the benefit of operating under an alternate timeline. This decision was a clever way for the new film to be unafraid to disrupt canonical events of the past half-century. With a new timeline, films can make any decision as well as explain the potential absence of Chekov.

This is also how the franchise can operate in conjunction with the Paramount+ universe of characters. And who knows? Maybe more films can make way for a Trek crossover in the future. While viewers wait for news on Stark Trek 4, they can watch the previous reboot films streaming on Paramount+.

via Collider