Star Trek has had a lot of firsts since it first debuted in 1966, but it took until 1995 for them to actually start happening. That's when Kate Mulgrew took on the role as Captain Kathryn Janeway, becoming the first woman to helm the bridge of a starshipin the franchise. Since then, other firsts have happened, but there is one more that hasn't happened yet. All of that will change on January 24th when Section 31 debuts on Paramount+ as its first Star Trek streaming movie, and Michelle Yeoh becomes the first woman to headline a Star Trek movie.
Section 31 is breaking a lot of new ground, but in thirteen movies, never has a woman been the face of the franchise. And even though some fans are still on the fence about whether or not this will be a successful Star Trek movie, there's no taking away from the fact that this is a big deal.
Though the other Star Trek movies have had ensemble casts, never have the reins been held by one woman, and that's essentially what will happen here. Though Yeoh worked alongside a talented cast, the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, all of it, will rise and fall on her being the face of the movie.
Yeoh played Emperor Philippa Georgiou on Star Trek: Discovery for three seasons, and the character, though originally evil at the start, managed to redeem herself aboard Discovery. She became someone fans rooted for. And that's exactly what needs to happen with Section 31. Even if everything else isn't up to par, as long as Yeoh brings the joie de vivre she brought to Discovery, the movie will have a high chance at being a compelling watch for fans.
Every Star Trek movie has had its positives and negatives. We shouldn't expect anything different from Section 31, but as long as Yeoh is the Emperor Georgiou we met aboard Discovery, there's a good chance this will be one well worth watching.