Star Trek 4 Project Hits Further Stalemate
Star Trek fans have been eagerly awaiting Star Trek 4 for nearly a decade, but it has never seen the light of day. Development began after Star Trek Beyond, released in 2016, and the fourth film has changed hands numerous times with different directors and screenwriters. However, the recent release of Marvel’s new film offers a striking clue about what the project could be like. Unfortunately, Star Trek 4 still hasn’t made any concrete progress toward a release.
Matt Shakman’s Departure Reverses the Star Trek 4 Development
Matt Shakman, who made a name for himself with WandaVision in 2021, was slated to direct the film. Shakman, who turned down numerous projects at the time, embarked on Star Trek 4, with a June 2023 release date set for the film. However, when J.J. Abrams announced the cast’s return before official agreements had even been made, the project was thrown into chaos. It was subsequently announced that Josh Friedman and Cameron Squires had begun rewriting the script, sound stages had been built, and a production start date had been set. Despite all these preparations, the project was once again put on hold in August 2022.
Matt Shakman left the project due to the uncertainty and returned to Marvel Studios to direct Fantastic Four: First Steps, taking over from Jon Watts. This film, currently in theaters, clearly demonstrated Shakman’s talent for space-themed narratives. This is considered a major missed opportunity for Star Trek 4.
The visual effects, space travel, and character-driven narrative in First Steps were a perfect fit for the Star Trek universe. In fact, one scene depicts the Fantastic Four team escaping Galactus and being dragged into a black hole at light speed, reminiscent of Star Trek’s iconic warp sequences.
At this point, Paramount’s merger with Skydance Media further uncertainties the project’s future. The next step for this iconic space-faring franchise remains unclear. However, it appears we’ll have to wait a little longer before we can regain hope for Star Trek 4.
