Update: Star Trek Going Back To Its Wrath of Khan, TNG Roots
Since this article was published, my insiders have offered specifics on what the Ellison-era Star Trek reset looks like, and it’s rooted in the franchise’s golden age.
“They’re taking Star Trek back to what made Wrath of Khan to Next Generation work,” the insiders tell me, part of Ellison’s larger philosophy of returning Paramount-WBD “back to what works globally.”
Read the full breakdown of what the Khan-to-TNG blueprint means for Star Trek here.
And right on cue, William Shatner now says he would return as Captain Kirk at 95, the actor who defined that exact era.
Previously:
The Paramount-WBD deal is set to close in July, and despite all the noise about delays or attempts to stop the merger, my Hollywood insiders say the drama is “all performative.”
One of the topics that came up in our conversation was Star Trek, and it’s no secret the franchise has been a shadow of its former self under Alex Kurtzman.
Like Marvel, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and plenty of other franchises, Star Trek has been loaded with the same divisive material that sent longtime fans packing.
Put it this way: a majority of Star Trek fans have beamed out.
Mike De Luca Expected To Carry Over At Paramount-WBD
With Paramount buying Warner Bros. Discovery, the expectation is that Mike De Luca should carry over.
De Luca is the co-head of WB films and was responsible for Warner Bros.’ hugely successful 2025 slate, which included Minecraft, Sinners, Weapons, and more.
I’ve previously been told De Luca is a huge fan of the geek properties. He’s a big comic book fan, got the Blade movies off the ground, and even helped launch the career of Dark Knight Trilogy writer David S. Goyer, who created the Blade movies.
My insiders also tell me David Ellison is also a huge fan.
“Ellison LOVES movies, understands tentpole films, is filmmaker-friendly, and pushes personal projects,” the insiders say.
They add, “He has a lot in common with Mike De Luca. They’ll work well together, revitalizing Star Trek.”
Star Trek Could Finally Get A Reset
That is where Star Trek gets interesting.
For years, the franchise has been treated less like Star Trek and more like another platform for the same Hollywood messaging that already damaged Marvel, Star Wars, Doctor Who, and more.
The result speaks for itself. The old audience left, the new audience never replaced it, and one of the biggest sci-fi brands in history has been reduced to niche streaming noise.
If Ellison and De Luca really are aligned on big, filmmaker-driven tentpole entertainment, then Star Trek may finally have a shot at being treated like a major franchise again instead of another broken legacy brand.
Paramount’s Big Vision Is Experiences
That’s not all. Under Ellison, Paramount’s larger vision is said to be EXPERIENCES: “live events for communal experiences, authentic auteur voices in film and TV, strategic AI to evolve storytelling, and global partnerships.”
“Paramount is already killing it with live events,” the insiders said.
I’m also told Ellison and De Luca will be “balancing creative’s careers like Tom Cruise doing his tentpole’s and personal projects like Digger,” which they hear is good.
That matters because it points to a different approach than what has been killing these brands. It is not just about pumping out content. It’s about making movies and shows feel like events again.
Paramount-WBD Could Put Star Trek Back On The Board
So, assuming everything goes according to plan, Mike De Luca will be at Paramount-WBD once the merger happens, and he will be involved with big properties including Star Trek and more.
After years of the franchise drifting, that could be the first real chance to get Star Trek back on course.
The fans didn’t leave because they stopped caring. They left because Hollywood stopped giving them a reason to stay.
