The premiere of Section 31, Paramount +'s first Star Trek streaming movie, is only a few weeks away, and many fans still haven't decided whether they will tune in. The trailers and first looks have been much different than anything we've ever seen before so, naturally, we're uncertain as to whether it's something we're going to like. As it turns out, one of the actors in the movie, Robert Kazinsky, who plays Zeph, told SFX Magazine [via Gamesradar] that he was "I'm terrified of how it's going to be received, because it's not the Trek people want."
As an actor that has to be a scary proposition, especially considering there's a lot riding on this movie. Many even think that Star Trek: Legacy, the series that most every fan wants, is riding on whether or not Section 31 does well. Certainly, future movies could be at risk if Section 31 doesn't fare well with viewers.
Kazinsky pointed out that "the Trek that people want, the Trek that we all want, is just 1,000 more episodes of [The Next Generation]." And while to some extent this is true, the newer series have found their following. Just look at the fan campaign that was undertaken to save Star Trek: Prodigy when it was cancelled or the one that was responsible for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
As I've mentioned before, not everyone likes the same thing when it comes to Trek. There are plenty of fans who still haven't watched a single episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine or Star Trek: Enterprise. But those series still have legions of fans that have made them more popular today than they were back when they originally aired.
Will everyone like Section 31? No. Will there be harsh reviews? Absolutely. But there'll also be people who love this different type of Trek and hunger for more. Those are the people who will stand behind Paramount's decision to create more Trek that's unique to the franchise. And that might be enough to give Paramount exactly what it's looking for in terms of viewers.
Section 31 releases on Paramount+ on January 24.