Star Trek: Is There A Place For The Kelvin Timeline Anymore?
4. Misstepping And Remaking
Star Trek Into Darkness followed in 2013 and was another box office success. However, this film was even more polarising than the last, and this time did not receive the positive feedback that had flowed so easily toward Star Trek 2009.
Benedict Cumberbatch's performance was well received, though the decision to cast him as Khan was met with confusion and slight derision. Nicholas Meyer, director of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, ultimately felt that the film didn't do the material justice. To input an homage or even just a tribute, there should be a reason for it, or it becomes a gimmick, he argued.
The film was a not-so-subtle remake of the Wrath of Khan, leaving audiences to wonder - what was the point? This would hardly serve to invite new fans to the franchise and the constant barrage of callbacks (this film's sins are far greater than 2009's in this regard) leaned toward the confusing.
Added to this, there had been a relatively massive 4 year gap between movies. Star Trek would not survive if missteps like this continued to occur.