Anton Yelchin Will Not Be Re-cast In Future ‘Star Trek’ Films

J.J. Abrams, producer of Star Trek Beyond, made it clear that Anton Yelchin will not be replaced in any upcoming films within the Star Trek franchise, during a new interview released this week.

Anton Yelchin Will Not Be Re-cast In Upcoming ‘Star Trek’ Films

Yelchin played the role of Ensign Pavel Chekov in the Star Trek reboot films, but following the actor’s death, Abrams will have to find a way to deal with Chekov’s absence.

“I would say there’s no replacing him. There’s no recasting,” Abrams told Postmedia Network. “I can’t possibly imagine that, and I think Anton deserves better.”

In Star Trek Beyond, Yelchin reportedly gets his most screen time yet, as an encounter with an evil alien swarm forces Chekov and the rest of the Enterprise crew to abandon ship and survive on a planet in small teams.

“We knew going into this movie it would be a bit of a heartbreak just because of Leonard [Nimoy],” Abrams said. “We had no idea just how devastating events would become.”

Abrams confirmed that a Star Trek 4 film is in the works, but he isn’t sure if the plan will be to kill off Chekov.  

“I have thought about it,” Abrams admitted. “We’re working on it, and it’s too early to talk about it.”