10 'What Ifs' That Could Have Changed The Course Of Star Trek
5. ...Discovery Had Been An Anthology?
Bryan Fuller originally wanted Discovery to be a show that stretched across centuries, exploring the galaxy and the changing shape of the Federation.
Instead of two seasons in the 23rd Century and a gigantic leap to the distant future, viewers would have seen each season tackle a different time period beginning with the Klingon War. Fans can but guess at what Fuller's vision for the second, third and seasons beyond would have been however it's safe to say viewers would have visited a key event each year.
Choosing this path is a radical idea for Star Trek which has relied on a set group of characters to help lead the audience through each of its properties. Only on select occasions has this even slightly strayed from the norm but Discovery would have further broken the expectations of the audience and ushered in a show that was a sci-fi version of American Horror Story with the cast playing different roles each year.
What this could have then provided was a popularity indicator of what fans wanted to see more of and thus directed the Kurtzman era to pick a different focus than the 22nd Century, Picard or Section 31. Instead, viewers might have been expecting a sequel to Voyager in 2021 rather than season 2 of Picard.