Star Trek fans had better brace themselves, as a particularly prominent franchise star revealed he is not coming back for more within the epic sci-fi universe. From a cinematic perspective, the modern Star Trek era has been marked by a trio of films starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. This reboot of the beloved TV franchise brought the series into the 21st century with a kind of big-budget filmmaking and modern sensibilities never seen before in the Star Trek world.
While these three films (Star Trek, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Star Trek: Beyond) were all reasonably well received and grossed over $1 billion worldwide, details on a potential sequel remain scarce. Fans of the franchise may be in for a shock, as one of these modern Star Trek trilogy's most prominent has seemingly closed the door on a potential return.
Speaking with CBR.com, former Star Trek star Chris Pine revealed that he has not heard from the studio about coming back as Captain Kirk for another Star Trek movie. "You probably know more than I do," he posited, essentially dispelling any hope that Pine's take on the iconic sci-fi character will return to the screen.
This comes several years after a longtime Star Trek actor criticized the franchise for trying to be too much like Marvel.
In November, the newly formed Paramount-Skydance announced that Dungeons & Dragons filmmakers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley had signed on to write and direct a new Star Trek movie.
At the time, it was unclear whether this new movie would be a sequel to the Pine-led trilogy or something wholly new; however, these most recent comments from the Captain Kirk star seem to confirm it is the former rather than the latter.
Pine had played the character since J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie reboot, which came to theaters in 2009.
Predicting Paramount's Next Star Trek Movie
A new Star Trek movie has been something Paramount has been exploring for years. The Goldstein-Daly version of the planet-hopping blockbuster is just the latest in a long line of proposed Star Trek: Beyond follow-ups.
At one point, it was reported that Kill Bill director Quentin Tarantino was set to take on the franchise in all his signature R-rated style. In a 2019 interview with Deadline, the fan-favorite filmmaker described the project as "Pulp Fiction in space." Eventually, the director left the project, prompting the studio to look elsewhere.
Since then, various names have been attached to a new Star Trek. These have included Madame Web director S.J. Clarkson, Alien: Earth's Noah Hawley, and MCU alum Matt Shakman.
With the Paramount-Skydance merger in late 2025, the studio settled on the former Spider-Man: Homecoming writing duo.
This new take on the franchise will likely feel very much like Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley's other movies to this point. This combines an evident passion for the source material with the writing/directing duo's hilarious brand of humor, creating a unique experience that resonates with longtime fans and newcomers alike.
