Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is more than a prequel; it’s a love letter to the original series.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is the default flagship show of the Star Trek franchise, and that’s a decision made by fans. Back in 2016, when the relaunch of Star Trek on TV was but an Internet rumor, the scuttlebutt was that the new show would be a prequel to the original series. featuring Captain Pike, Spock, and Number One. Although this was not the case, screenwriter Akiva Goldsman pushed for some inclusion of the Enterprise crew in Star Trek: Discovery and managed to get that season 1 cliffhanger, where the Discovery comes face to face with the Enterprise.
This brought the Enterprise crew into Season 2 of Discovery, and with that, the fans had seen enough. Those Internet rumors would come true by sheer force of the fans’ desire to see the adventures of Captain Pike and his crew continue after Discovery Season 2 wrapped up.
Due to a pressure campaign by fans, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds was a fait accompli.
This makes Strange New Worlds the most direct tribute to the fans that the Star Trek franchise has ever produced. Fans wanted a throwback to the original series, so Strange New Worlds has taken a creative approach to bringing back beloved legacy characters, as well as characters who we haven’t seen enough of before.
The casting of those characters had to serve as a tribute to their legacies, which must have been a monumental task. Especially since times have changed, and a few of those characters needed updates. Updating these characters while staying true to their legacies is the challenge at the heart of Strange New Worlds.