Star Trek movie franchise star Zachary Quinto explains recent delays on the J.J. Abrams-produced Star Trek 4.
What are Zachary Quinto’s thoughts on Star Trek 4’s delays?
Per TrekMovie.com, Quinto took part in a Q&A event at the 57-Year Mission convention in Las Vegas where he discussed his experience playing Spock in the Kelvin timeline of the franchise. When asked if the current shows like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds have any impact on preventing Star Trek 4 from hitting the big screen, Quinto strongly disagreed. “I don’t think that has anything to do with it. Actually, I think the more there is, the more it gets people excited about what could be,” Quinto said.
The actor went on to discuss his views about Star Trek 4’s delay and whether or not he’s willing to play Spock once more. “I think there’s a lot of other stuff, creative things,” Quinto continued. “It’s complicated. The fact that anything good gets made is kind of miracle. I think it’s about different people having different agendas and ideas about what it will be. And I don’t know if and when it will happen… And if coalesces again and we come back and we’re able to do it, wonderful. If not, we had a great run.”
Abrams announced Star Trek 4 before the release of 2016’s Star Trek Beyond with the plan to bring back Chris Hemsworth to play George Kirk. After Beyond underperformed at the box office, Star Trek 4 suffered numerous setbacks with director changes, script issues, and negotiations with Hemsworth as well as Captain James. T. Kirk actor Chris Pine falling apart. In 2021, Matt Shakman (WandaVision) was announced as the new director for Star Trek 4 with production announced a year later without the Kelvin cast’s knowledge. Shakman eventually departed the sequel to take on director duties for Marvel Studios’ upcoming Fantastic Four reboot.
Quinto’s co-star Pine previously expressed frustration over Star Trek 4’s stalled development and refuses to return until the script is right. “In Star Trek land, the actors are usually the last people to find out anything,” Pine said. “It doesn’t really foster the greatest sense of partnership, but it’s how it’s always been. I love the character. I love the people. I love the franchise. But to try to change the system in which things are created—I just can’t do it. I don’t have the energy.”
