One such director was The Fantastic Four: First Steps leader Matt Shakman, who, fresh off the success of Disney+'s WandaVision, was set to direct Star Trek 4 in 2022 before being reeled in by Marvel Studios. In a new profile published by Variety, Shakman revealed that progress on Star Trek 4 was coming along swiftly that year. "We had stages, we had crew, we were moving ahead," he explained.
At the same time, Shakman met with Marvel execs and producers about Fantastic Four, and they were immediately convinced he was the right man for the job. Committing to Marvel's first family became much easier once things started going downhill on Star Trek 4. Shakman said that the project had "changed dramatically" by the end of summer 2022, with Variety writing that the "stages went away," and that the "crew was let go."
While Shakman did not reveal what his version of Star Trek 4 might have looked like, he did say that he believed the "core idea remains the same" for the story, adding, "I really hope they get a chance to make that movie." Hope is a fickle thing in the movie business, though.
What We Know About Star Trek 4
Matt Shakman Isn't The Only One Who Hopes The Movie Gets Made
The original sequel to Star Trek Beyond was developed as a time-traveling adventure featuring the return of Chris Hemsworth as George Kirk. The project was shelved in 2018 after reported pay disputes. In 2022, J.J. Abrams reannounced Star Trek 4 and confirmed Beyond's cast was returning, although the stars were reportedly unaware of this at the time.
Shakman isn't the only one who wants Star Trek 4 to get made, either. Star Zoe Saldaña, who plays Lieutenant Uhura, told Deadline in December 2024 that she wishes they were "able to do it sooner rather than later."
"I feel like a lot of us have a full head of gray hair, so we need to do this quickly, if this is the same cast that’s going to reprise it again. It’s been a minute since I reconnected with Star Trek and all the characters’ journeys, but Uhura and Spock were always sort of drawn to each other, it just makes sense to see what is the next step in their relationship and their work relationship as well."
Chris Pine, meanwhile, who portrays the iconic Captain James T. Kirk, has expressed his frustrations with the movie's stilted development. In an interview with Business Insider, a few months after Yockey's involvement was announced, Pine told the publication:
"There was something in the news of a new writer coming on board. I thought there was already a script, but I guess I was wrong, or they decided to pivot. As it's always been with Trek, I just wait and see."
Our Take On Star Trek 4's Delays
Why Is It So Hard To Get This Movie Made?
Following the release of Star Trek Beyond in 2016, the Star Trek franchise has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity and storytelling. In 2017, Star Trek: Discovery, the first of Paramount's new Trek series, was released, followed by Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Another series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, a spinoff of Discovery, is set to premiere later this year.
Perhaps Paramount feels it's more important to focus on Star Trek's TV legacy rather than theatrical movies, especially since Beyond underperformed financially, earning $344 million worldwide on a sizable $185 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). Yet it also announced a new movie in January 2024, one that will explore the "origins" of Star Trek (there has been no update since then).
With Star Trek producing so much content, this feels like the perfect time to close out the 2009 era, giving Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu, Scotty, and Bones one last exciting adventure through space. Whether it'll ever be released on the big screen remains to be seen, though. Star Trek 4 isn't currently included in Paramount's theatrical slate.
