Expectations are high for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. In an interview for SFX Magazine, co-showrunner Noga Landau discussed how the effects of The Burn resonate with the Academy's class. She highlighted how these cadets are not the type one would see in an Academy class in the 23rd century, as they did not grow up in the near utopia of the Federation Trek fans know. Landau said via TrekMovie.com:
“Because of the Burn, they didn’t grow up during a time of abundance, of peace, of stability. Instead it was a time of desperation for a lot of people, so we have characters who grew up in refugee camps, or who grew up on Starfleet ships but have never set foot on a planet. We also have a character who basically grew up as a prince on a planet that had a rare supply of dilithium. They reflect the array of global experiences of young folks, in a way that I think is really important for the audience.”
The ensuing chaos wiped out thousands of starships, numerous colonies, and made warp drive virtually unusable. That meant the Federation could no longer be as connected and nearly collapsed. Thankfully, the time-displaced crew of the U.S.S. Discovery was able to find a solution. (Continued...)