Zoe Saldana and the rest of the cast will honor Anton Yelchin with Star Trek 4

Zoe Saldana is excited for Star Trek 4, and the film will honor Anton Yelchin.

Zoe Saldana will join Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Karl Urban for the upcoming fourth installment of the Kelvin Timeline Star Trek film. It was a rather surprising announcement to them, according to reports, as the cast didn’t realize the film was coming together as fast as it was but Paramount is motivated.

Saldana and the others are apparently excited to return to the screen to reprise their roles; obviously. They came together and signed new deals to assure they get at least one more go-around on the Enterprise.

That said, they’re not all taking that trip, as one of their crew members, Anton Yelchin will be unable to make that trek. He passed away right before Star Trek: Beyond got released, and it made a fourth film seem unlikely.

Saldana wants fans to know that this film will be done in tribute to their gone, but not forgotten, friend.

"We’re excited. Obviously, it’s bittersweet because we are coming together for a fourth time and one of us is no longer with us… with Anton’s passing. But we honestly feel that going back and keeping the Star Trek family together is a way to really keep him alive in our thoughts and our hearts. Because he was such a fan, and he was such a devoted artist to the craft and also to Star Trek. So it would be great to go back to work and get to be together with again."

Star Trek 4 should follow Zoe Saldana’s lead and pay tribute to Anton Yelchin

Saldana said that making the film will honor Yelchin, but it should do more than that. It should be about him, or more specifically, about Pavel Chekov.

A movie based on the passing of Chekov would be the perfect way to say goodbye to the man who helped bring the character back to the big screen. You could rope in Walter Koening to play a relative, and highlight the impact of loss on the crew.

If done in a meaningful and heartfelt way, it would be one of, if not the most, emotional Star Trek movies of all time.