Zachary Quinto says “there is no interruption” to Spock's return

Star Trek Actor Zachary Quinto isn't worried about the fact that the fourth film in the franchise's Kelvin timeline appears to be in development hell.

The Kelvin Timeline was created to free the 2009 Star Trek reboot from decades of continuity. It takes viewers back to the beginning of the series, with a younger cast portraying new versions of fan-favorite characters from Star Trek: The Original Series. JJ Abrams directed the first two installments – Star Trek (2009) and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) – while Justin Lin directed the third film, Star Trek Beyond (2016).

In July 2016, Paramount announced a fourth Star Trek film set in Kelvin. However, since it was first announced, the film has had difficulty getting out of development, having to go through various creative teams. Quentin Tarantino, SJ Clarkson, Noah Hawley and Matt Shakman were all once attached to write and/or direct Star Trek 4. Following Shakman's departure in 2022, no director is currently attached to the film, although Steve Yockey is reportedly penning the latest draft of the script.

Despite the difficulties of developing Star Trek 4, Quinto, who portrays Spock from the Kelvin Timeline, is nothing but optimistic about his future with the franchise. “The great thing is that Star Trek is a limitless universe. Watch all the TV shows, watch all the stories, look at all the characters and timelines. “Anything is possible,” he said in a recent interview with Variety to promote his new show “Brilliant Minds.” “That’s the joy of franchising. That's why it lasted 55, 60 years. I'm open to it. I would love it. I would absolutely love it.”

The actor continued, “There is no cutoff. The original cast made films for decades, well into their 50s and 60s. The stories could be different. On the other planets we may not move as quickly, but I think anything is possible, and I think there's nothing more fulfilling as an artist than coming back to something after some time and cultivating a relationship with it from a completely different perspective , and a completely new perspective.”

Is Star Trek 4 the only Star Trek film in development?

At the time of writing, Paramount has three Star Trek films in various stages of production. Star Trek: Section 31, a feature-length spin-off of Star Trek: Discovery starring Michelle Yeoh, is currently in post-production and is scheduled for release on Paramount+ in early 2025. In addition to Star Trek 4, Paramount is developing a prequel to Abrams' 2009 reboot, with Toby Haynes set to direct. Seth Grahame-Smith is writing the script for the Star Trek prequel, which will reportedly take place decades before the 2009 film.

All three Kelvin Timeline Star Trek films are currently streaming on Paramount+.