Given the success of "Rogue One" and the excitement surrounding the following "Star Wars" anthology films, we did some wishful thinking about what would make for good "Star Trek" anthology movies. The "Star Trek" universe is filled with "infinite diversity in infinite combinations" (#VulcanPhilosophy), so given the 50 years of content available, we amassed a wide variety of of ideas. Frankly, this list became frustrating to draw up given the plethora of options present in the centuries-long and galaxies-wide "Star Trek" canon.
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The stories we picked featured key elements of familiar characters in unfamiliar situations, storied incidents told from fresh perspectives or the fleshing-out of people, incidents or entities that deserved a closer look.* Let us know if you think we missed any!
*This list is only based on the series and films with the exception of #7 that takes into account information revealed in the "Tales From the Captain's Table" short story, "Iron and Sacrifice."
16 SULU ON THE EXCELSIOR
Captain Hikaru Sulu is arguably one of the most promoted, but least featured, characters from "The Original Series." Over the course of three seasons and six movies, he rose from the rank of ensign to captain and commanded the U.S.S. Excelsior starting in 2290. Under his command, the Excelsior famously assisted the Enterprise-A in its defeat of General Chang in "Star Trek VI." It's a satisfying battle not only because Starfleet emerges victorious, but also because it showcases one of the more complete character arcs in "Star Trek:" Sulu's evolution from green helmsman to seasoned battle commander.
However, aside from that incident, Sulu's adventures on the Excelsior are largely unexplored. Given the recent resurgence in not only "Star Trek's" popularity, but also that of George Takei's, an anthology film starring Captain Sulu (perhaps with Takei reprising the role that made him famous) centered around his missions on the Excelsior makes perfect sense. Especially when one considers the volatile political climate to be had in the late 23rd century, there's without a doubt an audience for a film that finally allows Sulu to really lean into that latent badassery we've only glimpsed at thus far.
15 HOW THE KLINGONS LOST TO TRIBBLES
One of the most delightful blood feud's in the STU is that of the Klingons and their mortal enemies. No, not the Federation or the Romulans. We're talking about the Tribbles. As evidenced in iconic episodes, "The Trouble with Tribbles" and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's" "Trials and Tribble-ations," Klingons hate Tribbles and Tribbles hate Klingons. It's understandable there wouldn't be any love lost between these two fundamentally different species, but the degree of hatred on each side is so intense it belies a bigger issue than just incompatibility.
An anthology movie about their conflict from its beginning to its famous climax (the Klingons hunted down the Tribbles and essentially Death-Starred their homeworld) would answer a lot of burning questions. We know Klingons hate Tribbles because the fuzz balls eat food stores and reproduce like crazy, but where did the Tribbles come from? How did they make First Contact with the Klingons? Was the animosity there from moment they met? Were the Tribbles inflicted upon the Klingons by a third party looking to destabilize the Empire with an ecological menace? Inquiring minds want to know. And, beyond burning curiosity, we can't imagine a more adorably farcical mission than brave warrior Klingons suiting up to destroy a planet full of faceless kittens.
14 THE VULCAN CIVIL WAR
Ancient Vulcans had very little in common with those of later centuries. Much like humans, but more extreme, they nearly destroyed themselves with centuries of violent infighting and nuclear war. That all changed with the Great Awakening, when Vulcans began to embrace the teaching of Surak, a philosopher who preached the suppression of emotions in favor of letting logic dictate all behavior. But, as with so many sweeping social changes, not everyone agreed. A great, final civil war ensued, and when the followers of Surak emerged victorious, the losing factions packed up their toys and stomped off to form the Romulan Star Empire.
The Vulcan Civil War is compelling because it's essentially the origin story of the Vulcan race, one of Star Trek's most enduring and popular creations. A film adaptation would give us a fascinating lens with which to view all the current portrayals of Vulcans on "Star Trek," along with endowing the Romulans with a characterization other than "grouchy isolationists." Don't forget the sweet satisfaction of finally getting to see a bunch of Vulcans in the berserker mode that we know is just below the surface.
13 TROI/RIKER ROMANCE
Aside from the many "conquests" of Jim Kirk, real Star Trek romances are few and far between. What is there is tragically unfulfilled (see: Picard/Crusher, Janeway/Chakotay) or just plain tragic (see: everyone Worf has ever dated). But one couple actually managed to draw out the will-they-won't-they tension for what seemed like an interminable amount of time and still nabbed a happy ending when we'd all lost hope: Will Riker and Deanna Troi. The undeniable chemistry and devotion between the dashing commander (who never seemed quite as wolfish as Kirk) and his stunning Betazed ex launched an epic ship. But we never saw how it all started.
"Star Trek" could stand one epic romance (who says Trek can't appeal to "Twilight" audiences?) and the best candidate for that is Riker and Troi. Their origin story is murky enough that a new one could be written without too much fan objection, and the characters are more than capable of carrying a story on their own. For the connection between these two to last over 20 years, surely it had to have had an explosive beginning..
12 THE FEDERATION OUTSIDE OF STARFLEET
One area in which "Star Trek" is considerably lacking is their failure to explore civilian life within the Federation. Aside from supporting characters like Guinan, Keiko O'Brien and Kassidy Yates, military life is almost totally unrepresented. Not only does this make us curious about, say, the daily life of a teacher, or a chef or an author, but also it undermines just what an aspirational achievement the Federation is meant to be.
Life in the Federation is paradise by our standards, especially the closer you get to Earth. Disease, poverty, war and discrimination have all been eliminated, but considering these details are usually told from the perspective of the Federation's military, we usually bear witness to what goes wrong in the UFP, not what goes right. That leaves room to explore the everyday life of a Federation citizens and civilizations. A film like this could do a little of what "Star Trek" has always done best: provide an idealized version of the future that's meant to inspire our present. Instead of dystopian fare like "The Hunger Games," a slice-of-life "Star Trek" story would remind audiences that the future doesn't have to be so bleak.
11 THE LIFE OF CURZON DAX
Curzon Dax, host of the Dax symbiont prior to "Deep Space Nine's" Jadzia Dax, led a fascinating and well-traveled life as a Federation Ambassador. Brought to life beautifully in the "DS9" episode, "Facets," and referenced by Sisko and Jadzia endlessly throughout the series, Curzon Dax led a passionate, romantic existence to say the least. He did so while at the center of several key historical events. He lived a full century before dying in 2367 and passing the Dax symbiont to Jadzia. His personality makes for a compelling protagonist, while his life's journey sets the stage for an epic story.
During the 23rd century, Curzon Dax acquired a positive reputation within the Klingon Empire. He was a delegate at the Khitomer Conference (which led to peace between the Federation and Klingons), a participant in the Korvat colony negotiations and got so tight with Kang, one of "Star Trek's" most famous Klingon adversaries, that Kang named his son Dax and tapped Curzon as the boy's godfather. Later, when Kang's son was killed, alongside the sons of two other close friends, Dax and the bereaved fathers swore a blood oath to exact vengeance. Curzon's life story would allow fans to look on familiar events and characters with an adventuresome set of new eyes.
10 OBSIDIAN ORDER
The Obsidian Order, the autonomous Cardassian intelligence agency, appalled and titillated "Star Trek" fans the world over with its ruthless practices, near complete surveillance of Cardassian society and years-long deep cover operations that involved extreme surgical and neurological alterations. Most of their own people lived in fear of them, not to mention their enemies. Honestly, we kind of live in fear of them.
While "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" went a long way toward fleshing out the organization, part of the allure of the Order was the mystery surrounding it. Both shows stopped short of really illuminating the ins and outs of the organization. Given the depths of cruelty and extremism that ran rampant, its origin would make for a fascinating story, especially given the complexity of Cardassian society and the fact that so many resistors resided within it. Did the agency begin with a fierce manifesto or did it devolve into depravity after a lack of oversight? Are there any operatives still out their with modified faces and memories? It may sound a little sadistic, but we're salivating to learn more about this macabre workplace.
9 PICARD'S EARLY YEARS
At first glance, Picard and Kirk were very different captains. Jim played the dashing cowboy, Jean-Luc the stoic general. But that wasn't always the case. What little we know of Picard's early days paints a far different picture: he took chances, he got into barfights, he literally even mamboed! He also captained the Stargazer with gusto and wit, engaging various foes successfully and creating the legendary Picard Maneuver in the heat of battle. The point is, the sober, slightly gruff commander we met in "Encounter at Farpoint," wasn't born that way (far from it, in fact).
Even during his tenure on the Enterprise, shadows of Picard from before he became the seasoned, reserved commander we met on "TNG" would surface occasionally. He had a penchant for adventure, intense physical activity and risk-taking. By all accounts, a young Picard must've been a bit of a badass. A biopic detailing his youth on the family vineyard through his Academy days onto his command of the Stargazer could make for a swashbuckling romp. And, much like the Vulcan Civil War, it could allow a perennially buttoned-up character the chance to let his hair down. Sign someone like Michael Fassbender to the role and this movie makes itself.
8 THE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENTERPRISE-B
The Enterprise-B is noteworthy for a few reasons, not the least of which is that it happened to be the ship one James T. Kirk was aboard when he got swept away in the Nexus and "died." Despite what some would call an extremely inauspicious beginning, the ship went on to have a storied career for quite some time until it mysteriously disappeared .
The "Captain's Table" short story, "Iron and Sacrifice," reveals that the B's last captain, Thomas Johnson, disappeared with all hands along the Cardassian border. Assigned to patrol the region, the ship reportedly began to assist Bajorans attempting to flee the Cardassian annexation of Bajor. The crew reported contracting an unknown infection before ceasing all communications. Given the Cardassian's penchant for biological warfare and generally unforgiving military practices, and the B possibly undermining their endgame, the ship's disappearance makes for a compelling mystery that would probably yield a terrifying and tragic truth.
7 THE EARTH-ROMULAN WAR
The Earth-Romulan War is the conflict that defined the tense, enigmatic Romulan/Federation relationship "Star Trek" fans know. When the Romulans are first introduced in the "TOS" episode "Balance of Terror," they are a secretive, aggressively unfriendly race with which the Federation maintains a cold, sometimes unsuccessful peace, their two territories buffeted by a Neutral Zone neither may enter without express diplomatic permission. The relationship between the two powers is so contentious that it doesn't meet any sort of détante until the tail end of the 23rd century. The Romulans are also the primary enemy of the Federation throughout "TNG," "Nemesis" and J.J. Abrams' "Star Trek" (2009). Beyond that, the Romulan War was ended at the Battle of Cheron, at which Humans, Vulcans, Andorians and Tellarites formed an alliance to decisively defeat the Empire. It was this alliance that formed the basis what would become the United Federation of Planets.
In short, the Romulan War in large part defined "Star Trek" as we know it, but it's never been tackled in any onscreen adaptation. Perhaps if "Enterprise" had lived past four seasons, we might've caught a glimpse. Since it didn't, we think someone should adapt it, if only for the sake of history.
6 WORF
Worf, Son of Mogh is arguably one of "Star Trek's" most popular legacy characters. His journey to find a balance between his Klingon heritage and his Federation upbringing is as moving as it is entertaining. He's also the personal manifestation of one of "Star Trek's" enduring culture clashes, bringing deep complexity to what started as a purely military conflict lacking in substance.
The early years of Worf's life on Qo'noS, his adoption by the Rozhenkos and subsequent childhood on Earth, and his attendance at Starfleet Academy make for incredibly fertile storytelling ground. It's almost unbelievable that there wasn't so much as a flashback episode dedicated to any of it, especially considering the character's popularity and the seemingly endless opportunities for good ol' fish-out-of-water gags. All jokes aside, though, this is a refugee story, and that arguably makes it the most relevant entry on this list. Worf was an outsider, unable to hide his race and forced to adapt to another culture in order to survive, specifically a culture that was once a sworn enemy of his people.
5 THE CARDASSIAN OCCUPATION OF BAJOR
The main premise of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" was the aftermath of the 50-year Cardassian occupation of Bajor. After easily overpowering the traditional and technologically inferior Bajoran civilization, the Cardassians enslaved its citizens and began stripping Bajor of major resources. Millions of Bajorans lived and died in forced labor camps, while a Bajoran puppet government controlled by their oppressors stood by and watched.
"DS9's" coverage of said aftermath was comprehensive, illuminating the many facets of the conflict from the varied perspectives of everyone from former resistance fighters to Collaborators to guilt-ridden Cardassians. Not only did it make for good television, it also laid the groundwork for what could be an incredibly compelling origin story of sorts, complete with a cast of characters both familiar and beloved. It has every element of a good anthology film: well-known characters inhabiting an integral, but as yet unseen story, and leaves questions still left unanswered. What did Cardassian resistance to the Occupation look like? Was the Provisional Government created by Bajoran self-interest or those sincerely duped by Cardassian lies? How desperate was the situation on Cardassia Prime to warrant such brutality?
4 SECTION 31
It's always been a bit too much to swallow that the Federation could maintain its position in the Galaxy while simultaneously avoiding compromising its high-minded values amidst a field of fierce and often ignoble enemies. While watching, did you ever wonder how it became such a mighty power without indulging in any of the questionable, but effective practices of its neighbors? Spoiler Alert: It didn't. Allow us to introduce Section 31: The Federation's Autonomous and Morally Corrupt Black-Ops Division.
Introduced to Dr. Bashir's horror in "DS9's" "The Inquisition," and further explored in "Enterprise" and "Star Trek: Into Darkness," Section 31 confirmed the suspicions of many a fan that the Federation had to have had some skeletons its closet. In a legendarily awesome retcon in the "Enterprise" series, Section 31 was revealed to have predated the Federation and had been pulling diplomatic strings in the background for years. An anthology film that revealed the history of the Federation from the perspective of Section 31, illuminating their part in the formative events of "Star Trek" history almost seems irresponsible not to make.
3 A SEQUEL INSTEAD OF A PREQUEL OR REBOOT
While "Star Trek" is in a renewed state of popularity, many fans still complain that everything we've seen isn't so much "new," as a revamped "old." They have a point. Even "Discovery" takes place pre-Kirk. We love the new content, but it doesn't exactly go along with the whole "final frontier" business. The franchise is inspiring because it illuminates new futures for humanity, which is something it can't do if it never leaves its neighborhood. We think there's room for a film or series set in the post-"Nemesis" universe sooner rather than later.
There's a case to be made that the way to refresh "Star Trek" is to come up with new ideas, not just redress old ones. Now that we have popularity capital to run with, why not take advantage and have a "Discovery" storyline that transitions from Rainsford's crew to a crew in the post-"Nemesis" timeline? Or create a Kelvin universe spin-off that's set further in the future than the Prime timeline has ever gone? Linking past and future is a formula that works for this franchise. And frankly, if Star Trek keeps languishing in the past, tech companies are going to run out of ideas to steal.
2 MIRROR UNIVERSE
One of our favorite things about "Star Trek" is that even its dystopia looks like fun. If you haven't daydreamed about the Mirror Universe version of yourself (or your S.O.), you need to take a step back and reassess your priorities. Introduced in the "TOS" episode, "Mirror, Mirror," the Mirror Universe is a super-sexy alternate reality in which humanity became the worst-behaved (but best-dressed) version of itself. Think the 24th century version of "Man in the High Castle:" everyone evil won all the important wars and humans have become the bloodthirsty leaders of the Terran Empire who conquer and enslave everyone they meet.
Even though both "DS9" and "Enterprise" explored the alternate reality further, there's never enough Mirror Universe. Bless the Federation, but damn if they aren't exhaustingly self-righteous sometimes. The Mirror Universe turns all the goody-goody heroes we know and love into leather-clad, neferious, goatee-toting villains, and there's a rich field of narrative possibility to plow if it serves as the basis for an anthology story. The sadistic adventures of the "Star Trek "Evil Twin Squad will never cease to provide a delightfully campy departure from the norm. More please!
1 CROSSOVER BETWEEN PRIME AND KELVIN TIMELINES
If there's one thing Trekkers like more than "Star Trek," it's one incarnation of "Star Trek" making friends with another incarnation. "Reunification," Spock's episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," saw the show become the highest-rated syndicated series on television. Frankly, if the MCU has taught us anything, it should be that crossover fan service is where the money's at. It's thrilling to see characters that have lived right next door to each other for years finally get together for dinner, and fan flock to that kind of thing. Star Trek is a uniquely good candidate for this brand of storytelling given that it's possessed of such a massive and rich canon.
Given the success of the Abrams movies along with Leonard Nimoy's passing, the time is just about right for the Prime and Kelvin Universes to merge (if only temporarily). Lord knows Bill Shatner won't let Kirk's death stop him from visiting if Team Abrams ever gives him the opportunity. Or perhaps "Discovery" will surprise us all and take an inter-dimensional trip at some point. We'll just have to wait and see what the future holds.
Be sure to let us know in the comments which movies you want to see made in the "Star Trek" universe!