Sunset Boulevard/Corbis Historical/Getty ImagesIn 1987, when Star Trek: The Next Generation debuted, the biggest question was simple: Could the idea of Star Trek exist without the characters and situations from the classic 1960s TV show and the very popular feature films? Today, of course, we think of the TNG era as a classic time for the Trek franchise, and, in some ways, nostalgia for that time period is stronger than that of The Original Series. Even the TOS prequel series Strange New Worlds borrows from the episode style of TNG, and in recent memory, the TNG-sequel series, Star Trek: Picard, proved, in 2023, to be one of the most critically acclaimed and fan-beloved Trek installments of the 21st century. But arguably, we haven’t seen a new Trek project started from scratch since 1987 and the debut of TNG/Until now. At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, the people behind the next Star Trek feature film, have dropped two bombshells: The new film will feature all-new characters and take place further in the future than any Star Trek before.The next Star Trek movie’s new timeline raises questionsJonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley speaking at Comic-Con 2026. | Amy Sussman/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty ImagesSpeaking at Collider's Directors on Directors panel, Goldstein and Daley confirmed that the new Trek film is still being written, and that it will feature an all-new cast of characters. The pair also confirmed that the film will take place “further in the future than we've been before.” This would seem to indicate that the film would take place beyond the 32nd century setting of later seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, and, most recently, Starfleet Academy.It’s also possible, of course, that this could be the far-future of a different timeline, perhaps not the Prime or Kelvin Timelines at all. Because the film is being touted as a fresh start for the franchise, this notion seems not only possible, but likely. “Further in the future” might not have to be tied to existing chronology. Why the next Star Trek movie is historicThe cast of The Next Generation in 1987. | Aaron Rapoport/Corbis Historical/Getty ImagesBut more interesting than the canon/timeline shift is the notion that the new film will debut on the big screen without a single legacy character. This is a historic first for Star Trek, full stop. Each of the 13 theatrical films featured characters and actors who had previously appeared in either The Original Series or The Next Generation, as well as some cameos and references to other existing shows. Star Trek, as a motion picture franchise, has never launched a film with all new characters. Ever.The last time the franchise launched anything with all-new characters was, again, 1987’s The Next Generation, which at the time was the biggest risk for the franchise. And yet back then, Trek was still technically playing it the same, since feature films featuring the original cast were still being made.Right now, with Strange New Worlds and Starfleet Academy both ending in 2027, it’s reasonable to assume that there will not be a new Trek TV series airing when the new movie hits theaters. This means that for the first time ever, Star Trek is fully rebooting. A new timeline and all-new characters. It’s the risky maneuver that Gene Roddenberry tried on the small screen decades ago. Could it work again? At this point, with so much nostalgia and complex continuity, a clean slate might be the perfect way for Star Trek to boldly go next.The next Star Trek film does not yet have a release date. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds streams on Paramount+.