Another Star Trek Cast Member Is Prepared To Return To The Franchise

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Another Star Trek Cast Member Is Prepared To Return To The Franchise

Key Takeaways

  • Zoe Saldaña is eager to reprise her role as Uhura in Star Trek 4 and hopes for character growth.
  • Star Trek alternate timelines allow for exploring new directions for iconic characters like Uhura.
  • Saldaña’s portrayal of Uhura adds depth, showcasing an empowered and dynamic character fans love.

As a lifelong Trekkie who’s seen more than my fair share of warp cores and tribbles, I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation about the potential return of Star Trek 4. Zoe Saldaña’s enthusiasm for reprising her role as Uhura is music to my ears, and if given the chance, I’d love to see her take on more leadership roles within the Enterprise crew.

For several years now, the fourth Star Trek film set within the Kelvin Timeline has been stalled during its production phase. Yet, one Star Trek actress stands prepared to rejoin the cast should, or perhaps only if, production finally commences.

The J.J. Abrams Star Trek films, set in a timeline known as the Kelvin Timeline, experienced a halt following Paramount’s television revival of the series in 2017. The last film from this timeline was Star Trek Beyond, released in 2016. After its release, discussions about the sequel titled simply Star Trek 4 persisted for some time. However, with the emergence of Star Trek: Discovery and later Star Trek: Picard, these conversations dwindled. Although fans have been given occasional updates on Star Trek 4 over the past eight years, such as the announcement in March 2024 that another writer had joined the project, production on the film has not yet begun. Moreover, Paramount has yet to officially confirm whether the movie is actually being made.

Zoe Saldaña is All in For ‘Star Trek 4’

Another Star Trek Cast Member Is Prepared To Return To The Franchise

Despite ongoing delays, the actors who played characters from the original Star Trek series in the Kelvin Timeline continue to nurture hopes of reprising their roles. In a conversation with Variety about her current role in Emilia Pérez, Zoe Saldaña disclosed that she’s committed to Star Trek 4 and eagerly awaits its realization. Although she hasn’t seen the script for the film yet, Saldaña expressed ambitious aspirations for her character, Nyota Uhura. Specifically, she yearns to see Uhura assume greater responsibilities and emerge as a guiding force for the Enterprise team.

“She’s a xenolinguistics master, but I would like her doing something else.”

Saldaña expresses her desire for more scenes involving Uhura and Spock (portrayed by Zachary Quinto), should the upcoming Star Trek film actually be produced. However, she hasn’t received any recent updates on the project, and she remains cautiously optimistic until she receives a script for further confirmation.

‘Star Trek 4’ Could Give Fans a Different Uhura

One delightful aspect of the various alternate realities, timelines, and revamps in Star Trek lies in the opportunity to delve into fresh paths for beloved characters.

Among the characters from Star Trek: The Original Series, the character of Uhura, portrayed by the late Nichelle Nichols, had limited chances for character growth. Although it was groundbreaking to have a Black woman in such a key role on a starship, Uhura’s responsibilities often resembled managing a switchboard more than a typical crew member. She seldom participated in off-ship missions, and her most notable scene across the entire series may be when she was coerced telepathically to kiss Captain Kirk.

Indeed, Uhura’s influence extended far beyond her screen presence. She served as a significant inspiration for actress Whoopi Goldberg, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. urged Nichols to continue on the show because of the Black girls she would inspire. Furthermore, numerous real-life astronauts have attributed their careers to her role.

In later interpretations of Uhura, including Zoe Saldana’s portrayal, the character has been given the opportunity to evolve into the strong, intelligent figure she potentially could have become if “Star Trek: TOS” had been produced in a more progressive era of the 1960s. My beloved Uhura embodies strength, intelligence, and self-advocacy, fearlessly taking on missions, saving the day, and even finding love along the way.

In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Celia Rose Gooding brings Uhura to life differently from what we’ve seen before. She portrays an ensign who is genuinely human and uncertain, yet seizes opportunities that even Nichols’ Uhura could only dream of having. One notable difference is Gooding’s bold decision to flaunt her natural hair on the bridge of the Enterprise – something that was off-limits for Nichelle Nichols in the original series. This personal touch reflects Gooding’s determination, as she advocated for this aesthetic choice after learning about the restrictions Nichols faced regarding her natural hairstyle in TOS.

These fresh depictions of Uhura have brought a tremendous amount of complexity to a character with obvious potential for growth. If a Star Trek 4 ever materializes, there’s immense potential for Zoe Saldana to develop Uhura’s character further. In fact, if Zoe Saldana gets her way, we might even witness the rise of Captain Uhura in the Kelvin Timeline.

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2024-10-27 15:25