Whether you're a Trek fan or not, it's pretty clear that Star Trek had to change in order stay relevant. Not that Star Trek doesn't have a kind of timeless relevance already about it, but it had been dangerously absent from the conversation for years until before the Abrams films, and non-existent on TV for the better half of a decade until Discovery came around.
There's also the fact that this new approach has been largely vindicated by consistent box-office receipts, positive critical reception and the fact that Star Trek, although always a cultural phenomenon, is experiencing a resurgence. Without those changes it's possible that this wouldn't have happened, and whether you're a fan of these new shows or not, it's imperative that Star Trek continues to feature everywhere it can.
It might not push all the right buttons all the time, but the Trek of today - while different to the Trek of old - is every bit as exciting, compelling and progressive as the original Roddenberry concept.
How do you feel about Star Trek today? Have you noticed any changes? Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments below!
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
