Alex Kurtzman believes Star Trek: Discovery’s unique story will cause debate

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

There's not a lot that the Star Trek franchise hasn't done over its forty year history, but with a fresh series on the horizon, we may be on the cusp of witnessing something new. Star Trek: Discovery executive producer Alex Kurtzman recently spoke with CNET to tease what the first season of the series will bring us, especially in regards to Sonequa Martin-Green's character of Michael Burnam. Kurtzman also adds that he believes that Discovery's unique story will be the cause of much debate with Star Trek fans.

The story that we have for season one is really interesting and special and I think pays tribute to a lot of what Trek has done and, in many ways, is actually doing it in a new way. To have Sonequa [Martin- Green] and Michelle [Yeoh] as captains of our ship is really, really exciting and different. I love stories that are based around strong women, and we have some strong women on that show. Having Sonequa – she is a very, very very special actress – is bringing a flavor to the character that I feel I haven’t actually seen in Trek and that is really exciting. Her story is very unique and draws on some really interesting things in Trek lore. I think fans will both, appreciate [it], and I’m certain, it will be a cause of much debate.

With such a rich history of stories and characters in the franchise, there's plenty for Star Trek: Discovery to take advantage of, but its status as a prequel (set ten years before The Original Series) also means that fans will be keeping a close eye on anything that doesn't strictly adhere to canon. That's an area where Star Trek: Discovery has already run into trouble, with fans taking issue with the seemingly out-of-continuity sets and uniforms as well as the drastically different appearance of the Klingons, but Alex Kurtzman believes that the Star Trek canon will be respected.

You’ve got a room full of people with very different and very devoted relationships to Star Trek in that writers’ room – and I think that carries on a pretty proud tradition of Trek being written by fans. You have to respect canon as it’s been written, you know; you can’t say "That never happened!" No, no, you can't do that. Star Trek fans will kill you! [laughs] You have to understand the timelines and what the different timelines were, and what the different universes were; how they all work together. You have to keep very meticulous track of who, when, where, and why – and we have people in the writers' room whose sole job is to say "No!’ You can’t do that!"

Alex Kurtzman adds that although he believes that they are "adhering to a timeline and sticking to the rules," they're also allowing themselves to find some "new areas and avenues of exploration that have only been alluded to, and never fully explored." No matter how Star Trek: Discovery turns out or how closely it adheres to canon, there will always be a part of Star Trek fandom who rejects it. You can't please everyone.

Star Trek: Discovery will debut on CBS on September 24, 2017 before moving to CBS All Access.