Could Star Trek’s prequel movie also be a secret origin story for Section 31? In development for a potential 2026 release, the Untitled Star Trek Origin movie will be directed by Toby Haynes from a screenplay by Seth Grahame-Smith. Announced by Paramount Pictures as the next Star Trek movie targeted for theatrical release, Haynes’ Star Trek prequel feature film is reportedly set largely on Earth and focuses on humanity’s early contact with aliens and the formation of the United Federation of Planets.
Numerous questions surround Star Trek’s prequel movie, which is set “decades before” J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie trilogy. Abrams’ Star Trek created an alternate Kelvin timeline starting in 2233, and the three films starring Chris Pine’s Captain James T. Kirk and the Starship Enterprise took place in the mid-23rd century, circa 2258-2263 in the alternate reality. Toby Haynes’ Untitled Star Trek would predate this and presumably place the prequel in Star Trek: Enterprise’s 22nd-century time frame. But along with depicting an earlier Starfleet and the possible birth of the Federation, Star Trek’s prequel movie could also shed light on the beginnings of Section 31.
Star Trek’s Prequel Movie Could Also Be Section 31’s Origin
If the Federation is formed, Section 31 must protect it
If Toby Haynes’ Untitled Star Trek prequel deals with the formation of the Federation, it would be logical if Section 31 is tied into it. Section 31 has always claimed it was formed and named after Article 14, Section 31 of the Starfleet Charter, which allowed for “extraordinary measures to be taken in times of extreme threat.” Star Trek: Enterprise canonically established that Section 31 already existed when Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula) launched the NX-01 Enterprise in 2151. However, Section 31 could grow, evolve, and take on an even greater scope to protect the Federation itself in Star Trek’s prequel movie.
Explaining Section 31’s origin could go hand-in-hand with the Star Trek prequel movie’s prospective plan to show the birth of the United Federation of Planets. Section 31 is an established part of Star Trek’s Prime Timeline canon in Star Trek: Enterprise’s era, and Section 31 was canonically established in the alternate Kelvin Timeline’s 23rd century in Star Trek Into Darkness. Essentially, once humanity formed Starfleet and began taking steps to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and civilizations, Section 31 was along for the voyage, doing Starfleet’s dirty work.
How Section 31 Has Changed Throughout Star Trek
Starfleet’s top secret agency isn’t so secret
Section 31 has taken on different forms since its introduction in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The idea of a clandestine black ops agency protecting the United Federation of Planets from threats perfectly suited DS9, which was mired in the Dominion War that threatened the galaxy. In DS9’s 24th century, however, only the highest levels of power in Starfleet had even heard of Section 31 before Sloan (William Sadler) attempted to recruit Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig), and the agency became known to Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks).
In the 23rd-century era of Star Trek: Discovery, Section 31 was less discreet. Section 31 was more widely known to Starfleet Officers like Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) even before Control, Section 31’s threat assessment A.I., became malevolently sentient and tried to commit intergalactic genocide. How Section 31 entered the shadows and became unknown to most in Starfleet by the 24th century is a story yet to be told, although answers could come in Star Trek: Section 31, the first made-for-streaming Star Trek movie headlined by Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh.
Star Trek Into Darkness depicted Section 31 as a shadowy organization unknown to Starfleet Officers like Captain James T. Kirk. In Star Trek Into Darkness’ alternate Kelvin timeline, Section 31 was overseen by Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller), Starfleet’s Commander-in-Chief. Section 31 was Marcus’ personal apparatus to commit murder and plunge the Federation into a war with the Klingons in order to realize his dream of a militarized Starfleet. Toby Haynes’ Star Trek prequel could be the cinematic return of Section 31.
Could Star Trek Secretly Have 2 Section 31 Movies?
Section 31 could get bigger than ever
It would be fascinating if Section 31 was part of Toby Haynes’ Untitled Star Trek prequel since Star Trek: Section 31 will premiere on Paramount+ in 2025. Michelle Yeoh was originally planned to lead a Star Trek: Section 31 TV series before the project was reconfigured into the first Star Trek streaming movie. Yeoh’s Section 31 already looks to be unlike previous Star Trek projects as it seems more chaotic and violent, almost gleefully so, in keeping with the personality of Yeoh’s ruthless antiheroine, Emperor Philippa Georgiou. The future of Paramount+’s hopes to make more Star Trek streaming movies depends on Star Trek: Section 31’s success.
Section 31 is a counterpoint to Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic vision for Star Trek.
Similarly, if Toby Haynes’ Star Trek prequel makes it to theaters, it will be the first new Star Trek movie to hit cinemas since Star Trek Beyond in 2016. A 2026 release date for Untitled Star Trek Origin would make it a full decade since Star Trek Beyond, and it would commemorate the 60th anniversary of Star Trek. Considering Section 31 is a counterpoint to Gene Roddenberry’s optimistic vision for Star Trek, Section 31 being part of Haynes’ origin prequel film would be a sign of how Star Trek has changed with the times while still remaining Star Trek at its core.
It’s not improbable for the next two Star Trek movies to include Section 31. After all, from 1989 to 1991, Star Trek: The Original Series had two movies in theaters about Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and the Starship Enterprise, while Star Trek: The Next Generation about Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D was in syndication. Section 31 has indelibly been part of Star Trek for almost 30 years since its creation in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and it’s about time Section 31’s origin is finally revealed.