"It's Not The Trek People Want": Star Trek: Section 31 Actor Shares Fears About How The New Movie Will Be Received

Star Trek: Section 31 star Rob Kazinsky shares his concerns about how the upcoming movie will be received. Kazinsky plays a Section 31 agent named Zeph. As Star Trek's first streaming movie, Section 31 will be released exclusively on Paramount+ instead of having a theatrical release. Section 31's cast is led by Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou, a role Yeoh first played in the Star Trek: Discovery series. The movie will follow Georgiou and the secret Starfleet division known as Section 31.

While speaking with SFX Magazine (via TrekMovie), Kazinsky explains that he is worried about Section 31's reception because it is not more of Star Trek: The Next Generation. He discusses how fans always want more The Next Generation, even though The Next Generation was not well-received when it first started. Kazinsky emphasizes that Section 31 does not feel like The Next Generation and feels different from any Star Trek story that has come before. Check out his comments below:

I’m terrified of how it’s going to be received, because it’s not the Trek people want. The Trek that people want, the Trek that we all want, is just 1,000 more episodes of TNG. Everyone’s always furious that they’re not getting more TNG, whilst at the same time, when TNG came out, everybody hated it. So this is going to come along and it’s not going to feel like any Trek that they’ve ever seen.

What This Means For Star Trek: Section 31

Being Different From The Next Generation Can Be A Good Thing

Kazinsky's concerns are understandable with Star Trek being a beloved and long-running franchise and every new story comes with high fan expectations. However, his point about The Next Generation being largely hated when it debuted proves that a project's quality and success are not always determined by initial reception. Much of the initial dislike surrounding The Next Generation was due to it feeling too different from the Star Trek that fans knew and loved.

Based on Kazinsky's comments, Section 31 will also feel different, and even unfamiliar in certain respects. Instead of this being a weakness, it can be a selling point, with Section 31 being an exciting and innovative chapter in the franchise. It may feel jarring at first, but has the potential to be outstanding because of how distinct it feels from other Star Trek stories, and could even lead to other Star Trek characters getting their own movie in the way that Section 31 is Georgiou's movie.

Our Take On Rob Kazinsky's Comments

Section 31's Reception Will Likely Go Through A Familiar Cycle

Kazinsky's comments tap into the cycle that nearly every Star Trek movie and series goes through and a cycle that is familiar to other franchises as well. At first, most new movies and series are divisive, and are often deemed to be inferior to the stories that preceded them. As time goes on, the once-new stories become increasingly popular and appreciated, and then the cycle continues with the next set of projects. The response to Star Trek: Section 31 will likely be mixed, especially with it being the franchise's first streaming movie, but its ultimate legacy will probably be positive.