The universe of Star Trek has changed quite a bit over the decades. While the series began by following Captain Kirk as he explored new universes with his trusted crew, new captains and crews across timelines and alternate realities have taken the baton and run with it. In a surprising twist, the canon of the beloved sci-fi franchise is about to change forever, as a side story has recently been confirmed to alter the game. Khan has long been one of the most recognizable villains in Star Trek history, and now, he is having a bigger impact on the franchise than ever before.
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Star Trek: Khan is an audio drama that recently finished its run following its debut earlier this fall on September 8th. Rather than re-inventing the wheel and giving Khan a completely new origin story, the series took place in the decades wherein the villain was stranded with his followers on Ceti Alpha V. In a recent interview with TrekMovie.com, the audio series’s writer Kirsten Beyer discussed continuity and how her work will be treated as canon moving forward. Here’s what Beyer had to say,
“Okay, here’s what I can tell you. Because I have had a few conversations. There is nobody who comes along and like waves a scepter and dubs a thing ‘canon.’ What I can tell you is that for the people currently working on Star Trek, [Star Trek: Khan] will be treated as canon, meaning it will not be overwritten, contradicted. And it will be—when possible—incorporated into future storytelling.”
Khan’s Comeback
While the audio drama recently released its final chapter earlier this month, Beyer is hopeful that Khan’s story might continue in this audio format: “I think there’s an appetite for more from the people who made it. We’re like: this was great, and we know how to do this. But beyond that, I don’t know.”
Based on the success of this side story, Beyer also discussed how she has thought about creating other Star Trek series using this format, “The more I think about it—especially after this one—I am more anxious to actually do a completely original story, done this way, that could carry forward without necessarily being set that it’s only going to be one season… That’s actually what I think would be more exciting for me, rather than digging back into the known.”
The villainous Khan was originally brought to life by actor Ricardo Montalban, appearing in the original Star Trek series and then returning to the legendary film, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Passing away in 2009, Ricardo’s character would return thanks to 2013’s Star Trek: Into Darkness, which saw Benedict Cumberbatch taking on the role. Ironically enough, Khan would return in the recent series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, albeit as a child and in a very different position than the nefarious ones we had witnessed in the franchise’s history.
What do you think of Star Trek: Khan being a canon part of the franchise? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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