10 'What Ifs' That Could Have Changed The Course Of Star Trek
6. ...Star Wars Had Bombed
No part of the Star Trek franchise is more interesting to dive into than the canned Phase II and it's death is in no small part to a galaxy far, far away.
Star Wars changed the landscape of sci-fi but without its success there would be no Motion Picture.
If Star Wars had bombed out not only would its cinematic sequels have never seen the light, but Star Trek would have veered off in a very different direction.
Phase II would have headed out in the late 1970's for a five year mission aboard the refitted USS Enterprise with all the regulars aboard minus Mr Spock. Fans would have been riled with his omission but have been drawn straight into a new series that took a new look starship where no one had gone before. 13 scripts were already in play with two eventually resurfacing on TNG and this would have fundementally altered the Star Trek timeline. No TNG, no Berman era and if it had failed in its own right then Star Trek would have been over and done with by 1983.
Fans wanted Star Trek as is shown by the numbers that saw The Motion Picture and were watching in syndication. Phase II would have ticked every box.