J.J. Abrams almost made a Star Trek movie that would have starred this recognizable actress from The Walking Dead and Marvel’s Black Panther. Abrams reinvigorated the Star Trek franchise with his 2009 Star Trek film, which introduced Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock, and Zoe Saldana as Lt. Nyonta Uhura. Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond followed, but then the theatrical Star Trek franchise came to a standstill. Some version of a fourth Star Trek big-screen adventure has been in the works since Beyond was released in 2016, but the film has yet to get off the ground.
In 2018, Paramount Studios began developing a sequel to Star Trek Beyond that would feature the return of Chris Hemsworth’s Captain George Kirk. J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay completed a script and Madame Web director S.J. Clarkson had been tapped to helm the project. Paramount planned to begin filming in early 2019 and The Walking Dead’s Danai Gurira was in talks to have a starring role. Everything seemed to be in place for the project until contract negotiations reportedly broke down between Chris Pine, Chris Hemsworth, and the studio in August of 2018.
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Danai Gurira Almost Starred Alongside Chris Hemsworth In Star Trek 4
Gurira stars alongside Chris Hemsworth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Zimbabwean-American actress Danai Gurira rose to fame after being cast as the katana-wielding Michonne in AMC’s The Walking Dead. Gurira went on to join the cast of Marvel’s Black Panther, playing General Okoye, the leader of the elite Wakandan women warriors known as the Dora Milaje. She reprised the role of Okoye in Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Although it’s unknown what role Gurira would have played in Star Trek 4, she would have been a wonderful addition to the Star Trek universe.
At the 51st Annual Saturn Awards, which took place on February 4, 2024, TrekMovie.com had the chance to talk with Danai Gurira. When asked about her rumored role in Star Trek 4, Gurira said the following:
I was in talks… I don’t know how far along they were, but that was looking to happen. I was quite excited about it, but then that entire film didn’t happen.
Gurira didn’t reveal much about the character she would have played, but she did reiterate her excitement for the role. Read her quote below:
She was going to be very different from me in many ways. You know, it’s Star Trek, man. It was cool… It was a very exciting idea and story and I was excited about the character.
What Happened To Chris Hemsworth’s Star Trek Movie?
The Star Trek father/son adventure that never was.
In a 2022 Interview with Esquire, screenwriters J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay revealed more about the plot of their scrapped Star Trek film. Payne compared the story to the Star Trek: The Next Generation season 6 episode, “Relics,” which sees the return of James Doohan as Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott. Scotty had been stuck in a transporter’s pattern buffer for years, and the crew of the USS Enterprise-D were able to restore him to life. After likening the film to “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in space,” Patrick McKay elaborates on the premise. Read his quote below:
So the adventure is that Chris Pine and the crew of the Enterprise have to seek out the wreckage of the ship that his father died on because of a mystery and a new villain. In the ship, they stumble across his father’s pattern. They beam him out and he has no idea that no time has passed at all, and that he’s looking at his son. Then the adventure goes from there.
While it’s possible Chris Hemsworth’s George Kirk could return in a future Star Trek movie, the chance grows less and less likely as more time passes. Paramount still wants to give the J.J. Abrams Star Trek crew a proper send-off, but they also have several other Star Trek projects in various stages of development and production. The upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 film starring Michelle Yeoh, has already begun production and will premiere on Paramount+. A prequel film set before J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek (2009) has also been announced, although little information about it has been revealed. Whether or not Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk and his crew will return for another adventure remains up in the air, but it appears fans will not be short of Star Trek content for the foreseeable future.
- Director
- Justin Lin
- Cast
- Chris Pine , Idris Elba , Anton Yelchin , Karl Urban , Simon Pegg , Zachary Quinto , Shohreh Aghdashloo , Zoe Saldana , John Cho , Sofia Boutella
- Writers
- Doug Jung , Simon Pegg
- Franchise
- Star Trek
