One Star Trek: Section 31 star seems to miss the point of Section 31

It seems like no matter what the film does, the marketing and promotion for Star Trek: Section 31 will continue to defy established lore. The director of the film, Olatunde Osunsanmi, called the story "fun" and "inspirational". Considering this is an origin story to a secret and at times rogue group of operants who commit unjustified assassinations, torture their own citizens and are routinely seen as "bad guys" by the main characters of the entire Star Trek canon, it's hard to see how this could or should be "fun".

Section 31 is not supposed to be the heroes of the film. They're not supposed to be likable, quirky, or fun. They're rotten to the core. They are extremists who will justify the means as long as the end is what they want. They are terrorists.

Not the good guys. Yet, every piece of promotion seems to see some sort of advert-washing of the group and their core concept. It's bad enough that the film is being pitched as 'Star Trek's Guardians of the Galaxy', it's even worse when we start altering the history to fit the narrative.

Which is what Section 31 star Rob Kazinsky is doing. Speaking at the New York Comic Con Star Trek panel (via TrekMovie.com), Kazinsky tried to make Section 31 out as the true heroes of the Federation, going on to say;

"The reason the Federation can exist in this optimistic, utopian idea is because of Section 31, because of people like us… And the idea is actually just an expansion of the universe. It’s not not a negative thing within the Star Trek universe. I do think that to make the general universe even more believable, even more real and even more important, you actually have to show the Section 31 of it all."

Oftentimes, when Section 31 was seen on screen, they were actually hindering things. Just like political parties, money, and other specific ideas from the 20th and 21st centuries, espionage isn't as needed as it once was. The universe has evolved past such concepts by the time Star Trek has kicked off.

In fact, spying is usually seen as something that is done to Starfleet, not something Starfleet does. With the degree of technology and the alliances forged through struggle, it seems rather archaic for there to be a Section 31 at all.

If you were going to make a movie about such a despicable group, the least you could've done is highlight how awful they are and how truly disturbing their methods are. Not, put a new coat of paint on it and pretend these are just plucky rogues who are looking to do good.