Star Trek: Voyagershould have gotten to have a movie follow-up, but the premise meant it couldn’t follow in the footsteps ofStar Trek: The Original SeriesandStar Trek: The Next Generation. AfterThe Original Series’cancelation, the franchise lived on in sixStar Trekfilms, beginning with 1979’sStar Trek: The Motion Picture. WhenStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Countryhit theaters,Star Trek: The Next Generationwas in its fifth season. AfterThe Next Generationended, the cinematic torch passed from theTOScast to the USS Enterprise-D crew in 1994’sStar Trek Generations.
It made sense thatStar Trek: Deep Space NineandStar Trek: Voyagerfilms would followTNG’s movies, either with contemporaneous installments or through aGenerations-style passing of the torch. TheVoyagercameo from Admiral Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in the fourth outing for theTNGcast,Star Trek: Nemesis,wasn’t the major crossover experience thatStar Trek Generationswas, butJaneway’sNemesisappearance still hinted at the possibility of moreVoyagerinfutureStar Trekprojects. That hope fell flat whenNemesisfailed to live up to box office and fan expectations.
Star Trek: Voyager Deserved To Have A Movie Like TOS & TNG
Star Trek: Voyager Is More Like TOS & TNG Than DS9
YetStar Trek: Voyagerdeserved to have a movie likeTOSandTNG, given their similarities. WhileDS9broke new ground for theStar Trekfranchise with its serialized storytelling and weighty character arcs,Voyagerconducted business as usual with episodic adventures in unexplored space.As withTNG, it wasn’t necessary to know complicated backstories to understandVoyager’s cast of characters; most could be explained within the dialogue. Captain Kathryn Janeway’s USS Voyager even made first contact with more alien species than anyone since Captain James Kirk (William Shatner).
In some ways, Voyager’s twelve two-part episodes act like short movies in their own right.
In some ways,Voyager’s twelve two-part episodesact like short movies in their own right.Star Trek: Voyagerseason 5, episodes 15 & 16, “Dark Frontier”, was marketed as aVoyagertelevision movie, presented as one uncut episode when it first aired (and on streaming services).Voyagerseason 3, episodes 8 & 9, “Future’s End”, feel like a direct homage toStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home, with the USS Voyager crew in 20th-century San Francisco solving problems with a modern-day female scientist. Unfortunately, these episodes were ultimately just substitutes for the big-screen cinematic experience that could have been.
Star Trek: Voyager’s Premise Made A Movie Continuation Almost Impossible
Star Trek: Voyager’s Ending Meant A Movie Wouldn’t Be Like The Show
However, the story and conclusion ofVoyagermade a movie continuation complicated.Voyager’s concept of being lost in the Delta Quadrant was perfect for aStar TrekTV show that continued the legacy (and format) of earlierStar Trekshows. TheTOSandTNGmovies show what happened after their series' endings, more or less in real time, with the continuing adventures of their respective USS Enterprises. UnlikeTOS' abrupt end andTNG’s more open-ended finale,Voyagerends with the USS Voyager getting back home, which meant there could be no continuing adventures for Janeway’s crew.
ConcludingStar Trek: Voyagerwith a theatrical release of “Endgame” probably would have alienated casual movie-goers, since previousStar Trekmovies didn’t rely on having any prior knowledge of eitherTOSorTNG.
Instead of being direct continuations like theTOSandTNGmovies, aVoyagermovie would have to be very different from the TV show. The concept that definedVoyager— theunfamiliarity of the Delta Quadrant— would not be present in any story set after the finale. Instead of employing the safe storytelling that madetheseries easy and enjoyable to watch,aStar Trek: Voyagermovie would have to chart new narrative ground.Additionally, afterStar Trek: Nemesis' box office disappointment, investing in aVoyagermovie, especially one drastically different from its source material, would have been too risky.
How A Star Trek: Voyager Movie Could Have Worked (Despite The Show’s Ending)
How Does The USS Voyager Crew Adjust To Life In The Alpha Quadrant?
Still, aVoyagermovie might have worked with some brainstorming.Voyager’s series finale suffered from ending too abruptly, without showing any of the aftermathof the USS Voyager’s return. A movie would have created space to explore the consequences of the crew’s absence and see how they adjust to being back home.DS9’s Dominion Warchanged the Alpha Quadrant during the USS Voyager’s time away, so friends and family might have been lost.Voyager’s characters banded together to survive in an unfamiliar environment, and being back home would surely have psychological effects on the crew.
Every Voyager Character Who Has Returned In Star Trek (& How)
Star Trek: Voyager’s beloved characters have returned in Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and especially Star Trek: Prodigy.
That heavy subject matter isn’t all that different from the musings on aging, grief, legacy, or change in earlierStar Trekmovies. AVoyagerfilm could have found a way to work in themes of alienation and trauma bonds, alongside the USS Voyager crew reuniting to deal with a threat they’d be uniquely equipped to handle. A call from the Delta Quadrant or a time-travel adventure, a new ship, and promotions all around would have made aStar Trek: Voyagermovie that lived up to its premise and the legacy ofStar Trekmovies before it, despite the commercial risk.
Star Trek: Voyager
Cast
In this sci-fi series, the starship Voyager becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant, 70,000 light-years from Earth. The diverse crew, led by Captain Janeway, embarks on a perilous journey home, encountering unfamiliar species and challenges while adhering to Federation principles in uncharted space.
