Even though there’s no sign of a Star Trek: Voyager movie in the works, an underutilized branch of the franchise has already introduced a brilliant way for the show’s тιтular vessel to return for a feature-length production. Of all the Star Trek shows from the space opera’s classic era, Voyager is among the most popular since the franchise returned to the small screen in 2017 with Star Trek: Discovery. A lot of the newer shows have referenced Voyager by revisiting its characters in other settings, but I think the franchise can go a couple of steps further than that.

Star Trek: Voyager holds a special place in the Star Trek timeline. Although it also unfolds in the 24th century along with Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the Star Trek: Voyager cast explores an entirely different region of space. As such, it teaches the viewers things about the Star Trek universe that would be impossible to learn from other shows within the franchise. However, that unique trait means Voyager missed out on certain things as well, which a very specific type of movie could rectify.

I’d Love To See The Kelvin Timeline Movies Reach The 24th Century

Abrams’ rebooted movies could bring back characters like Captain Sisko & Captain Janeway

JJ Abrams’ Star Trek movies only softly rebooted the franchise. His creative overhaul of Star Trek: The Original Series to form the basis of his 2009 movie pulled the Chris Pine-led effort into the main canon, but in a new universe that was set in motion by the destruction of the USS Kelvin. So far, the three Kelvin Timeline movies so far haven’t ventured beyond the 23rd century, but there is no reason why they couldn’t in the future – especially if the long-awaited Star Trek 4 is a success.

If so, then Abrams’ branch of the Star Trek franchise would open up to include recast characters from the 24th century shows. This would include, but not be limited to, Star Trek: Voyager. As much as I enjoy Star Trek: The Original Series, I have a far greater fondness for the franchise’s 24th century, so I’d be thrilled to see that era updated too. Abrams has earned my trust with his current trilogy of Star Trek films, so I think the 24th century should be next on his to-do list. At the very least, I hope it’s on his mind.

The USS Voyager May Never Get Stranded In The Delta Quadrant In The Kelvin Timeline

The Caretaker could take another Starfleet vessel in Voyager’s place

The Kelvin Timeline’s biggest appeal is that the movies don’t just rehash what happened in Star Trek: The Original Series. Sure, there are similarities and shared characters, but that makes perfect sense. Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk and his alternate version of the USS Enterprise have already experienced a vastly different set of events compared to William Shatner’s Kirk and the original crew. Therefore, it stands to reason that this would apply to the Kelvin Timeline’s version of Captain Janeway and her ship.

As such, events in the Kelvin Timeline will probably have diverged so much from the Prime Universe by the 24th century that it would arguably be very surprising if the alternate Voyager were still pulled into the Delta Quadrant by the Caretaker. There are decades that separate the events of Star Trek: The Original Series and Star Trek: Voyager, so there is a lot of time for the ʙuттerfly effect to take hold and make it so that Voyager is nowhere near the Badlands when the Caretaker tries to scoop up ships from the Alpha Quadrant.

A Kelvin Timeline Voyager Movie In The Alpha Quadrant Would Be Very Different From The Original Show

Captain Janeway’s alternate crew could finally be seen exploring the Alpha Quadrant instead

Despite the current differences between the Kelvin Timeline movies and Star Trek: The Original Series, the former is still recognizably a reimagining of the latter. Star Trek: Voyager getting the Kelvin Timeline treatment wouldn’t be like that, at least not quite so prominently. Incredibly little of Voyager is set in the Alpha Quadrant, so the show primarily reveals new races and worlds that had never before been seen in other areas of the franchise. So, if the USS Voyager remains in its native quadrant, the characters could be seen doing things their Prime counterparts never got the chance to.

One of the biggest disparities between the Prime Voyager and a Kelvin Voyager that never left the Alpha Quadrant would arguably be the crew lineup. Certain members of Janeway’s crew only came to be aboard after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. So, a Kelvin Voyager movie would need to write new ways for characters like Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine and Ethan Phillips’ Neelix to find their way onto Janeway’s ship. However, that needn’t be a huge challenge, as Star Trek: Voyager has already pulled off far weirder arcs.