10 Worst Star Trek Moments In 2025

9. Money Doesn't Exist In The 24th Century

paramount skydance star trek
Paramount Global / Skydance

Money may not exist in the 24th Century (despite literally dozens of examples where it does) but that cannot be said of the 21st. Paramount and Skydance finally completed the merger this year to form Paramount: A Skydance Corporation, in a deal that numbers in the billions. One may assume with all that bread, things would move quickly forward?

Well, they did, and they didn't. 

New CEO of Paramount, David Ellison, is certainly making his presence felt at the company and in the industry. He arrived with a mission to bump up the company's theatrical releases (more on this later), which was not good news for Section 31 fans. Might this mean an influx of cash for Secret Hideout to channel into the Star Trek universe?

It is more than possible, though recent developments have suggested that money is focused elsewhere. Rather than consolidate their position at the company and begin to build, the new leadership almost immediately launched a bid to purchase Warner Bros., swooping in after a successful bid by Netflix. This bid initially included money from several Middle Eastern countries, along with President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner (though his support has now been withdrawn), which afforded Ellison $108.4billion to offer. 

This hostile bid has, at present, seemingly been stopped, with Warner Bros. urging its shareholders to stick with Netflix. However, it is unlikely that this will be the last attempt to gain a huge hold over the entertainment industry, so it remains to be seen what this ultra-capitalistic mindset may bring to the Star Trek universe. 

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"