Headline  ·  TV

Paramount Erases Star Trek: Discovery from Canon: Fans Celebrate a Potential Return to Tradition

December 25, 2024  ·
  Marvin Montanaro
Michael Burnham Star Trek Discovery

Michael Burnham on Star Trek Discovery - YouTube, Star Trek

We saved this one for Christmas Day because we wanted to spread a little good cheer on this special day! Paramount has officially scrubbed the maligned and controversial Star Trek: Discovery from canon, setting it in an alternate timeline that doesn’t impact the prime story fans have loved for decades. 

Not only has Paramount officially canceled Star Trek: Discovery, it utterly erased it from the broader Star Trek canon. For many fans, especially those weary of the series’ controversial direction, this decision is a welcome relief that promises to restore the beloved continuity of the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Discovery debuted with high expectations, but over its run, it faced significant backlash from segments of the fanbase. Criticisms ranged from drastic changes in the portrayal of iconic species, such as the Klingons, to deviations from established timelines and character arcs. The early seasons set the series in the past, but inconsistencies soon emerged, leading to widespread dissatisfaction.

A klingon in Star Trek: Discovery

A Klingon in Star Trek: Discovery – YouTube, Star Trek

READ: Disney Hit With X Community Note for Declaring Mufasa the #1 Movie in The World Amid Sonic 3 Domestic Dominance

One of the most contentious issues was the redesign of the Klingons. Traditional fans were taken aback by the new aesthetic, which diverged sharply from the established look seen in Star Trek: The Original Series and subsequent iterations like Strange New Worlds (which is a spin-off of Discovery…which makes the choice all the more confusing).

This departure was not only disruptive to longtime enthusiasts, it also disrupted the visual continuity that’s a hallmark of the Star Trek franchise.

In an unexpected move, Paramount utilized the final episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks to address the controversies surrounding Discovery. According to Giant Freakin’ Robot (GFR), Lower Decks officially confirmed that Discovery exists in an alternate universe, separate from the main Star Trek timeline.  

Alex Kurtzman

Alex Kurtzman speaking at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con International, for “Star Trek: Discovery”, at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California. Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

READ: Disney Lucasfilm Spent Over Half a Billion Dollars on Andor Budget: Where is This Money Going!?

This revelation effectively erases the Alex Kurtzman created series from the prime canon, ensuring that its divergences no longer impact the overarching narrative.

The explanation provided involves a fascinating sci-fi concept.

There’s a rift surrounded by a Schrödinger possibility field that remaps matter into alternate-reality versions from the multiverse. This event transforms the main timeline Klingons into those seen in Discovery, clearly delineating between the two universes. Consequently, while Lower Decks remains canon and part of the prime timeline, Discovery is relegated to an alternate reality, mitigating its previous inconsistencies.

This strategic erasure is not Paramount’s first attempt at maintaining continuity. Lower Decks has previously addressed and rectified longstanding continuity issues, such as the 50+ year debate over the appearance of the Orions. By reaffirming Lower Decks as canon and aligning it with the main timeline, Paramount reinforces the integrity of the Star Trek universe.

Despite starting as a Discovery spin-off, Strange New Worlds continues to uphold the traditional look of the Klingons. 

With the cancellations of both Discovery and Lower Decks, alongside the conclusion of Star Trek: Picard, Paramount is shifting its focus to new projects that promise to enrich the Star Trek universe without disrupting its established canon.

Philippa Star Trek

“Vaulting Ambition” — Episode 112 — Pictured: Michelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou of the CBS All Access series STAR TREK: DISCOVERY. Photo Cr: Ben Mark Holzberg/CBS © 2017 CBS Interactive. All Rights Reserved.

READ: Jim Carrey Is Considering a Return as The Grinch in a Sequel: Why He Should Do Sonic 4 as Well!

The upcoming release of Star Trek: Section 31—a streaming film starring Michelle Yeoh—is set to premiere on January 24 exclusively on Paramount+. As a direct spin-off from Discovery featuring a character from an alternate universe, it’s likely that Section 31 will also exist outside the prime canon, allowing Paramount to explore new narratives without affecting the core timeline.

William Shatner as Captain Kirk

William Shatner as James T. Kirk in Star Trek Generations (1996), Paramount Pictures

The decision to cancel and erase Star Trek: Discovery from canon ultimately serves the greater good of the Star Trek franchise. By removing a divisive element, Paramount is paving the way for a more cohesive and beloved universe that honors the legacy of its storied past. For fans who long for consistency and respect for the original material, this move is a cause for celebration.

Now they just have to make a show that Star Trek fans like…

Are you happy to see Star Trek: Discovery erased from canon? Sound off in the comment section below and let us know! 

UP NEXT: Sonic 3 Star Ben Schwartz Dreams of Super Smash Bros. Movie Crossover with Chris Pratt’s Mario, But Studio Rivalries Stand in the Way

Author: Marvin Montanaro
Marvin Montanaro is the Editor-in-Chief of That Park Place and a seasoned entertainment journalist with nearly two decades of experience across multiple digital media outlets and print publications. He joined That Park Place in 2024, bringing with him a passion for theme parks, pop culture, and film commentary. Based in Orlando, Florida, Marvin regularly visits Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando, offering firsthand reporting and analysis from the parks. He’s also the creative force behind the Tooney Town YouTube channels, where he appears as his satirical alter ego, Marvin the Movie Monster. Montanaro’s insights are rooted in years of real-world reporting and editorial leadership. He can be reached via email at mmontanaro@thatparkplace.com SOCIAL MEDIA: X: http://x.com/marvinmontanaro Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marvinmontanaro Facebook: https://facebook.com/marvinmontanaro Email: mmontanaro@thatparkplace.com
Join the Conversation
Subscribe
Notify of
20 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
drakiesan

And here we go… another “multi-verse” Marvel-style bs that nobody likes and everyone is fed up with.

drakiesan

It’s the cheapest and easiest possible way to do and only will allow them to dilute the story even more, like Marvel which has Multiverse literally baked into it. They will use this to push even more slop until the brand is so diluted and damaged (again; Marvel, DC…) so badly, they will need to utterly restart the whole story. They have not learnt from past mistakes and instead repeating them, expecting different outcome… isn’t that the definition of insanity?

Frankly, I expect some Deus Ex Machina (like Q continuum) to show up, snap their fingers and reset the whole thing in a few years…

Last edited 1 year ago by drakiesan
DemocratPeteOphelia

Alex Fistsman sure looks like one of those male feminist types.

starc

well he has man in his name so thats enough no?

Mad Lemming

Paramount won’t just declare it non-canon, they’ll try and hide it so people forget about it. Which we shouldn’t let them do. Mistakes like this should be enshrined and remembered forever so they’re never repeated.

Bunny With A Keyboard

It was never canon to begin with.

Homestarrunner1

Exactly… I refused to ever believe this was Prime Timeline.

Illegal_Illusion

Now do the same for Jodi Whittaker and Ncuti Gatwa’s Dr. Who’s.

Shining Shadow

It’s called “Walk back the stuff that made the consumers walk away.” It’s amazing how easily most of the problems could be solved by hiring gifted writers who are also actual Star Trek fans. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of licensed novels written by them. Strange New Worlds was originally the name of a Star Trek short story anthology series.

Bunny With A Keyboard

There is no one who can be both creative and woke, and they demand woke writers. The closest you can come is someone like JK Rowling, but the woke hate her. Creativity requires intelligence.

trackback

[…] site That Park Place put it thusly: "Star Trek: Discovery debuted with high expectations, but over its run, it […]

trackback

[…] Fonte: thatparkplace […]

abaddonphx

“According to Giant Freakin’ Robot”…Nuff Said…

Homestarrunner1

Right? I wouldn’t trust them to tie a shoe. However, that said, every once in a while they do hit on a nugget of truth that isn’t shill media.

Homestarrunner1

So hopefully bi proxy that means the abominable Strange New Worlds is gone as well.