The Star Trek franchise has never shied away from tackling sensitive real-world topics. The franchise has always been a mirror of the real world, and that will remain true for the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Ahead of the Star Trek Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, EW dropped an exclusive first look at the highly anticipated new series, which includes some first look photos and top-level details. Starfleet Academy is set in the 32nd century, the post "Halcyon Days," and revolves around the first class of Starfleet cadets at the academy after 120 years. It's a setting that was determined would better reflect the current state of the real world as it pertains to a younger generation.
"Our children are facing a lot of challenges right now and they are our hope for the future." said executive producer and co-series showrunner Alex Kurtzman.
While specific plot details for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy are being saved, presumably for today's panel, the EW article did briefly tease Paul Giamatti's role in the series. He will be playing the show's main villain and could be a part of a Klingon hybrid species. In speaking of Giamatti's role, Kurtzman explained that they wanted to create a villain that embodies that real-world mirror.
"One of the things that we see all across the world now is how much hate is relied on to sow division between things that connect us as human beings and how hate is used as a bludgeon to destroy empathy, which I think is ultimately what Star Trek is about," Kurtzman explained. "At its core, it's about: We may not look the same, but we are the same. Finding that common ground and figuring out a way to understand our differences is at the heart of what [Star Trek creator Gene] Roddenberry was talking about."
Giamatti's character "represents a tide that has swept across the world in a very profound and upsetting way."
Star Trek is hardly the only franchise to tackle real-world events, but these days, offering commentary on cultural topics can be divisive and quickly alienate a segment of the population. Kurtzman doesn't see it this way when it comes to Star Trek.
"I say this without taking a political stance," he said. "That is part of what it means to invite everybody into the tent. One of my favorite things about Star Trek is that it reaches across the aisle. People on all sides of the political spectrum love it for different reasons. That is something that we really wanted to hold true to here."
"That's really the whole point of Star Trek is to remind people of what real sci-fi optimism looks like," added fellow co-showrunner Noga Landau. "Part of that reminder comes from learning how to view others not through a lens of intolerance and hate and disgruntlement, but through a lens of empathy and unity and peacemaking."
These remarks suggest that Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will delve into complex themes such as race, xenophobia, and immigration. While these subjects are not new to the Star Trek universe, their exploration arrives at a time when the United States remains deeply divided on these issues. And it's not just an American concern—intolerance and conflict are global, with tensions and wars unfolding across multiple regions of the world.
While Kurtzman and Landau may be striving to craft a Star Trek series that resonates across the political spectrum, much of how it’s received will be beyond their control. Audiences will interpret the show through their own ideological lens, and, as with many modern films and series, different groups are likely to highlight specific moments as validation of their own beliefs.