Multiple universes, merging times, and, a mechanism to travel in time. These are the three requirements that make up a cinematic universe in present times and Star Trek actor Jonathan Frakes thinks that it’s not such a good idea for Star Trek to do the same.
Although the veteran actor is entitled to his opinion, it might not be such a terrible idea after all. With universes like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DCU merging timelines to bring connectivity across all movies and TV series, fans are loving it and it could turn out great if Star Trek was to follow suit.
Jonathan Frakes Is Not A Fan of Cinematic Universes
It was the year 1966 when Star Trek: The Original Series started airing on television and ran for 4 years till 1969. After the series ended, animated films, movies, sequels, and other TV series were released, and the stardom of the franchise grew.
Star Trek: The Next Generation reinvigorated people’s interest in the franchise and it welcomed the next generation of watchers to enjoy the classic franchise. However, as the years went by, Star Trek started losing its way.
Although Patrick Stewart stated that Star Trek felt like a spiritual experience, the franchise had too many movies that were randomly connected to some shows that were not related at all, the franchise grew chaotic.
An attempt to reboot the franchise was made in 2009 with the film Star Trek but it received average reviews and less reception from the audience. In an interview with TrekMovie, Jonathan Frakes, who portrayed the role of William Riker in the franchise sat down for a chat.
When he was asked whether a merging of all the movies and series into one big cinematic universe was possible, Jonathan Frakes did not exactly have an answer to the question.
Yeah, that’s a great question to which I’m not sure I have the answer. I think that my interest as a fan would be in what would what kind of movie does [Quentin] Tarantino make.
He further continued,
And as a fan of Hawley, what’s that writing going to be like? But as a businessman, I would think you would bet on Chris Pine and Chris Hemsworth, wouldn’t you?
So all in all, the actor wasn’t too enthusiastic about the idea of a cinematic universe that could merge and make sense of the chaos that the Star Trek franchise is right now. That’s where our opinions differ.
Merging multiple universes and timelines could actually be one of the best ideas for a more refined Star Trek franchise since all the chaos would be resolved!
A More Refined Star Trek Franchise Sounds Quite Good!
In 2009, Star Trek was an attempt at a reboot of the franchise with newer ideas and catering to modern trends. However, the writers did one smart thing by portraying the characters as set in an alternate timeline!
![Star Trek: Discovery [Credit: Paramount Network]](https://fwmedia.fandomwire.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/27095116/Star-Trek-Discovery-Credit-Paramount-Network-2.jpeg)
From bringing back Sir Patrick Stewart’s Captain Picard to meeting Chris Pine’s version of Jean-Luc Picard, the franchise could go on to break hundreds of records. All of it depends on one singular thing only, if the franchise decides to create its own cinematic universe.
There are several projects that are currently in development in the Star Trek franchise and they have been gaining traction (case in point, Star Trek: Picard). However, it seems that the franchise has a long way to go if it wants to make a refined sense out of the chaos.
The merging would also allow several shows like Star Trek: Discovery to be considered non-canon and thus, out of existence in the newly refined cinematic universe. On the other hand, it cannot be confirmed or denied whether the franchise will actually merge timelines and create a singular cinematic universe.
