Star Trek: Discovery showed the opposite of J.J. Abrams' destruction of both Vulcan and Romulus in Star Trek (2009). In Star Trek's 2009 reboot, Vulcan is destroyed by Romulan time traveler Nero (Eric Bana), whose home planet of Romulus was annihilated when its star went supernova in 2387. Nero mistakenly blames Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) for the loss of Romulus, so Nero goes back in time to make a younger Spock (Zachary Quinto) witness the destruction of Spock's own home planet Vulcan.Star Trek (2009) shows Romulus' destruction in Star Trek's Prime Timeline and makes a major plot point of Nero's red matter attack blowing up Vulcan in J.J. Abrams' alternate Kelvin Timeline.
Star Trek on Paramount+ series incorporate J.J. Abrams' invention of the Romulan supernova in the Prime Timeline. When Star Trek was released in 2009, Nero's point of origin in 2387 was past the "present" point of the Star Trek timeline: Star Trek: Nemesis, taking place in 2379. Star Trek: Picard picks up post-Nemesis, and incorporates the Romulan supernova into flashbacks, with Starfleet trying to help the Romulans before it's too late. Star Trek: Discovery's 32nd century shows Romulus' destruction as a pivotal historical event that, centuries after the fact, fundamentally changes the Vulcans' relationship to their Romulan cousins.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Ni’Var Is The Opposite Of What J.J. Abrams’ Movies Did To Vulcan & Romulus
Both Romulans And Vulcans Thrive In Star Trek's Prime Timeline
In Star Trek: Discovery, the planet Ni'Var is the shared homeworld of 32nd century Vulcans and Romulans alike, making it the opposite of what J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies did to Vulcan and Romulus. Instead of showing the destruction of two planets in as many timelines, Star Trek: Discovery shows Romulans and Vulcans co-existing, albeit with some struggles, on the planet formerly known as Vulcan. After the Vulcans welcomed their Romulan cousins, who were left without a home after the 24th-century supernova, Vulcan was renamed Ni'Var. The name Ni'Var is referenced in Star Trek: Enterprise, and appropriately describes a whole thing made of two different parts.
Ni'Var rejoins the United Federation of Planets.
Vulcans and Romulans retain a sense of individual cultural identity as citizens of Ni'Var, since Romulans and Vulcans are both represented in Ni'Var's culture and unified government. Ni'Var's President T'Rina (Tara Rosling) is opposed by a faction of Vulcan Purists, who take issue with T'Rina's marriage to Kelpien Ambassador Saru (Doug Jones). The Romulan Qowat Milat warrior nuns have a strong presence on Ni'Var, especially after their philosophy of "absolute candor" was instrumental in reconciling the differences between Vulcans and Romulans. Becoming an independent world after the Burn, Ni'Var rejoins the United Federation of Planets, thanks to Commander Michael Burnham's (Sonequa Martin-Green) unique perspective as Spock's (Ethan Peck) adopted sister.
Star Trek: Discovery’s Vulcan & Romulan Unification Is Spock’s Dream
Michael Burnham Learns About Spock's Success In Star Trek: Discovery
Star Trek: Discovery's unification of Vulcans and Romulans on the planet Ni'Var is the realization of a dream that Ambassador Spock worked for later in his life. Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episodes 7 & 8, "Unification I" and "Unification II", show that Leonard Nimoy's Spock has been covertly working towards bringing Vulcans and Romulans together as one people. In honor of Spock's 24th-century mission in TNG, Star Trek: Discovery season 3, episode 7, is titled "Unification III" since it reveals that Ni'Var owes its existence to Spock's lifelong work of encouraging Romulans and Vulcans to embrace their common origin.
Nero's successful mission to destroy Vulcan in Star Trek (2009) may have inadvertently condemned the Romulans of the Kelvin Timeline in the long term. There's no reason to think the Romulan Supernova of 2387 won't also happen in the Kelvin Timeline, and destroy its Romulus just like the supernova did in the Prime Timeline. When that happens, Kelvin Romulans will become as rare as their Vulcan cousins, and the Vulcan homeworld won't be around to become Ni'Var. It's a sobering thought to realize that the Kelvin Timeline will lose both iconic Star Trek species, while Star Trek: Discovery allows both Romulans and Vulcans to thrive on Ni'Var.
