Don’t Worry, Star Trek’s New Origin Movie Isn’t A Threat To Canon

Despite legitimate fan concerns, the new Star Trek prequel movie shouldn't be a threat to the existing canon. Billed as "an origin story for the main timeline of the Star Trek franchise", the upcoming prequel, written by Seth Grahame-Smith and directed by Andor's Toby Haynes, is expected to be the next Star Trek movie to hit theaters. Fans are right to be concerned about how this origin story will impact the established Star Trek timeline, given that both Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Enterprise previously told the stories of humanity's early interactions with alien life, and the eventual founding of the Federation.

While these concerns are legitimate, new information in an article by The Hollywood Reporter suggests there could be nothing to worry about. The report states that Star Trek's origin movie is set on Earth for the majority of its runtime. This tidbit of information suggests that, rather than completely scrapping the canon established by Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Enterprise, the new origin movie could bridge the gap between the movie and the TV show in fascinating ways.

There's an 88 year gap between First Contact and Enterprise.

The news that Star Trek's origin movie will be set mostly on Earth could imply that it will retcon the events of Star Trek: First Contact, by giving an alternative take on how humanity first encountered alien life. THR's report stated that this Star Trek prequel will be a jumping-on point for fans, which also adds weight to concerns that the first meeting between Zefram Cochrane (James Cromwell) and the Vulcans could be rewritten. Alternatively, Cochrane's first contact could easily provide the origin movie's prologue, keeping canon intact and providing a brand-new Star Trek story.

There are 88 years between Zefram Cochrane inventing warp speed and Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) leading humanity's first deep space exploration mission. That's a big gap in the Star Trek timeline that provides a great deal of storytelling potential. Star Trek's origin movie being set on Earth would, therefore, allow it to tell the story of how Cochrane's discovery led to humanity's further development of warp travel with the Vulcans, and why it took nearly a century for humanity to venture into the stars.

Star Trek’s Origin Movie Can Fill In A 88 Year Gap In Canon

Star Trek's origin movie needn't retcon the established timeline to tell a new story that covers humanity's early interactions with alien life and the formation of the Federation. Star Trek: Enterprise established that, in the 88 years after landing in Bozeman, Montana, the Vulcans were criticized for holding back humanity's development. That central conflict could make for a strong Star Trek story, especially when you take into account the fact that humanity is rebuilding after a nuclear war. With this 88 year blank slate, Seth Grahame-Smith's script is free to tell a story about what happened after Star Trek: First Contact.

There are many things the Star Trek origin movie can shed light on, such as when and how United Earth was founded. Also, what did the Vulcans see on Earth that convinced them humanity wasn't ready to go out into the stars? An alien invasion movie, set in the period between Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Enterprise could be the perfect way to demonstrate early warp travel, humanity's post-war aggression and why the Vulcans deemed them not ready for deep space exploration and diplomacy. Rather than break Star Trek canon, the new origin movie could greatly enrich it.