What should the next Star Trek feature film project be?

Star Trek films have been up and down as of late, but what should the next project be?

Star Trek has had many eras. First, it was the original series, the only source for all things Trek, and then it went to the film franchise featuring the original series cast. Then we got the Next Generation of shows, featuring, of course, The Next Generation, Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise. All while another film franchise aired alongside it.

Then we got the Kelvin Timeline of films, followed by the Secret Hideout era of Star Trek television. Yet, across all of the various eras, only recently has the franchise not had an active film series to feature as their own. It’s been over seven years since the last film, Beyond, aired in theaters.

And considering each era of the film franchise, TOS, TNG, and Kelvin, all featured at least one incredible entry into the list of Trek films, the fact we haven’t figured out what’s next is a bit shocking.

The longest break between films previously was six years and roughly six months, the estimated time between Nemesis and Star Trek 2009. Since Beyond came out in July of 2016, we are well past seven years since the last Trek film came out.

It’s been way too long and fans are getting antsy. Sure, there’s going to be a made-for-streaming Trek film, so we’re told, called Section 31, but there hasn’t been any movement on that in some time and the recent strikes didn’t help it at all.

We’re not sure what that film is going to look like, especially with its reduced budget. Making the film more and more likely to be a one-off experiment than anything substantial. It’s very likely that it’s a film that has to be made to honor some sort of contractual obligation, and if that is the case, Paramount may just be angling to use it as a tax write-off.

So what comes next after the Section 31 made-for-streaming film?  Well, with all the current goings-ons with the fourth Star Trek film of the Kelvin Era, it’s fair to say that specific series within the franchise is over, and a new film franchise will come from Trek.

But what should it be?

There are dozens, if not hundreds of ideas but the best idea is to steer into the fan service that Hollywood is drowning in. It’s a short-term idea that does nothing to help the future of the franchise any, but Trek’s best bet for a hit film is to double down on other terrible trends and have an Avengers-like crossover.

Have various characters from across Star Trek’s lore come together and have a big adventure, picking and choosing the best characters, actors, and actresses possible to create a super film. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you can come up with some original characters to spin out of the film franchise and into their own series, but the goal should be to make something that appeals to the diehard members of the franchise.

And an Avengers-like crossover seems like the best bet, even if it is devoid of originality.