Zoe Saldana: Uhura In J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Movies Explained

Star Trek 2009 was J.J. Abrams' foray into the Star Trek franchise that introduced younger faces as familiar characters, and Zoe Saldana reclaimed the role of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura for all three reboot films. Before Star Trek 2009, Lieutenant Uhura had been played by Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: The Original Series and the subsequent Star Trek films. Celia Rose Gooding portrays the young Ensign Uhura of the Prime Universe in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,but Lieutenant Uhura owes much of her progress in the last two decades to Zoe Saldana, who gave Uhura a backstory—and even a first name - in the Kelvin Timeline.

Though her portrayal of Lieutenant Uhura is highly credited for newer the Star Trek films' success at the box office, Zoe Saldana has her hand in many mega-popular, high-grossing movie franchises. Zoe has made a name for herself through her roles as strong female characters, and her success is unmatched by any other female Hollywood star. With new films on the horizon, including a possible Star Trek 4, Saldana's career shows no signs of stopping. Much of her success is thanks to her part in Star Trek 2009 and the popularity of her version of a beloved Star Trek character.

Zoe Saldana Played Lt. Nyota Uhura in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Movies

Saldana reimagined a young Uhura.

In Star Trek 2009, Uhura got a first name, Nyota, and became a full Starfleet officer, complete with fleshed-out characterization and narratives. In Star Trek: The Original Series, Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) was the show's main female representation, but she rarely had solo narratives and was often used as a device to further the development of male characters. However, Zoe Saldana's strong-willed portrayal of Uhura was more rounded. She quickly became a fan-favorite for her no-nonsense attitude, confidence, and empathy, and Saldana claims that Uhura's "androgynous essence" in Star Trek 2009 contributed to the character's popularity.

Alongside Star Trek, Saldana also appeared in James Cameron's 2009 film Avatar, the highest-grossing film of all time. Her character in Avatar, a native Na'vi named Neytiri, was another tough but lovable female character. A few years later, Saldana appeared as Gamora in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, earning her a spot in the Avengers canon and major roles in subsequent Marvel films. Overall, the films Saldana has appeared in have grossed more than $15 billion worldwide. As of 2024, Saldana is the second-highest-grossing film actress behind Scarlett Johansson and the fourth-highest-paid actor of all time.

Zoe Saldana’s Uhura & Zachary Quinto’s Spock’s Star Trek Romance Was Controversial

Spock and Uhura was not a popular pairing.

While Zoe Saldana's Lieutenant Nyota Uhura revitalized love for the iconic Star Trek character, the rebooted Star Trek series' romance subplot between Uhura and Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) was controversial. Star Trek 2009 implies that Uhura and Spock had been romantically involved before the film's events. When the Romulan adversary Nero (Eric Bana) destroys Vulcan, Uhura comforts Spock, and the pair kiss several times throughout the film. Despite J.J. Abrams' reboot films taking place in the Kelvin alternate universe that breaks off from the Star Trek timeline, many fans argue that this romance defied The Original Series' canon.

Lieutenant Uhura and Commander Spock's romance continues flourishing Star Trek: Into Darkness but it was over in Star Trek: Beyond. Though it remained controversial, Uhura and Spock's relationship provided all three Star Trek films with romance that didn't involve Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), which was a different take from the womanizer version of Kirk in Star Trek:The Original Series. Kirk was free to explore his place in Starfleet instead of having a love interest while Spock and Uhura took on the role of adding romance to the reboot franchise, but some fans argue they lacked chemistry.

Zoe Saldana Would Return As Uhura For Star Trek 4

Saldana wants to return to the Starship Enterprise

Star Trek 4, the long-delayed next installment of J.J. Abrams' reboot franchise, was meant to be released in theaters in 2023. However, differences among the film's many creative teams and scheduling issues with some of the cast prevented the film from even being filmed. In the last few years, Star Trek 4 has seen a handful of big-name directors sign on but ultimately exit the project, and it remains unclear if the movie will ever happen.

Despite the delays, Zoe Saldana would love to return Star Trek and reprise her role as Lieutenant Uhura for a fourth time. Meanwhile, Celia RoseGooding's portrayal of Nyota in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds wouldn't be possible without Saldana's role as Uhura, so Saldana deserves a chance to bid farewell to the character that changed her career. While some say Star Trek 4 has to happen in 2026 to celebrate Star Trek's 60th anniversary, as of 2024, the film has not been given a release date or filming schedule.

Star Trek (2009)

J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in a totally new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the future crew of the USS Enterprise are drastically changed. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out for revenge on Spock, setting off a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.