Karl Urban Would “Love” To Reunite For ‘Star Trek 4,’ But Has A Scheduling Issue

Paramount has announced plans to move forward on a fourth Star Trek film set in the Kelvin Universe with producer J.J. Abrams. Now another member of the cast is weighing in with a potential wrinkle. Karl Urban’s performance as Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy in the three Kelvin Universe Star Trek movies has been lauded by fans, and he is up for doing more, but he may have an issue with his schedule.

Karl ready for more Trek, if it can work with his schedule

Over the weekend, Karl Urban was at SXSW promoting the upcoming season of his Amazon Prime Video superhero series The Boys. During a cast chat with Variety, they talked to the actor about the upcoming Star Trek project and  like Chris Pine, Urban said he had yet to see a script for the film. The latest reports on the film is that it’s to be directed by WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman, with the latest draft of the script being written by Josh Friedman (Avatar 2) and Cameron Squires (WandaVision), based on an earlier draft by Lindsey Beer (Sierra Burgess Is a Loser) and Geneva Robertson-Dworet (Captain Marvel).

Urban, who is a big Trek fan himself, echoed the recent sentiments expressed by co-stars Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana about looking forward to reuniting with the Trek cast, but when asked about his schedule, he told Variety he may be busy:

I’m shooting The Boys through the end of the year. So, I literally don’t know. I would love to work with those guys again. They are so much fun. The best hang. We’ll see.

Karl Urban as McCoy in Star Trek Beyond

Paramount has already set a release date of December 22, 2023, for the next Star Trek movie, with Abrams planning to start shooting this fall. Even if Urban is working on The Boys, it’s still possible for a Star Trek film to be produced simultaneously, accommodations for actors working on two projects are not uncommon—for example during the production of 2009’s Star Trek, Zoe Saladana was also working on Avatar. However, The Boys is filmed in Toronto, Canada, so if Chris Pine gets his wish and the next Star Trek is shot in Los Angeles, that would make it more difficult for Urban to do both. But Star Trek Beyond was shot in Canada, and Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are also shot in Toronto.

There is also the practical matter that Urban’s The Boys character Billy Butcher has a beard, and trying to remove that digitally for Dr. McCoy in Star Trek wouldn’t be practical, and possibly creepy. However, there is precedent for McCoy to have a beard in a movie, as he was seen when he was “drafted” in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Giving Urban’s Bones a groovy medallion would also be a nice touch.

DeForest Kelley in Star Trek: The Motion Picture

You can watch the Variety discussion with Urban below.

Urban in The Boys

Here is the new trailer released along with The Boys panel at SXSW featuring Karl Urban and Jack Quaid (Boimler on Star Trek: Lower Decks). Warning: for mature viewers.


Keep up with all the news on Star Trek 4 and upcoming Trek films at TrekMovie.com.

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If things finally are moving, when is this likely to be released? Winter 2023? Summer 2024?

The release date is in the article.

The release is currently penciled in for Xmas 2023. It’s likely to move, though.

I have no issue with a bearded Bones. :)

Just give him a medallion and it’ll be canon compliant.

Agree. Not an issue at all

OMG the beard makes all kinds of sense in relation to the timeline #BeardedBones

Regarding potential schedule conflicts Bones dosnt necessarily have to have much to do (like ID) just be there for a few scenes (with beard) . the main focus will be Kirk Spock Uhura again (there’s no way Saldana will get sidelined post Infinity Saga/Guardians 3/Avatar2)

The next ST movie will take place in the mirror-universe, where each male member is bearded. Problem solved.

Hell, give Zoe a beard, too, and make it all really strange.

The Boys, excellent show. And Urban is great in it.

More of what we already know – this announcement was more about getting investors excited, rather than having any actual plan. This movie will be delayed, if it comes out at all.

Pretty much. Everyone says they want to do it, but it’s obvious no one has been signed on to anything either. The whole thing is utterly odd when they had months to talk to these guys if they knew they wanted them back beforehand for this movie.

Yup, I believe I had this discussion in another thread here about how Urban was gonna be busy with The Boys for the foreseeable future. Lets hope they can find a way round it. Even if its for a short appearance Urban needs to be there.

Just as I expected….we’re about a month past JJ’s announcement, and while the cast conceptually loves the idea, no one, anywhere has seen or heard squat. Urban is the first to look at his calander and comment that there are scheduling issues, assuming JJ actually expects to be in principle photography in the forth quarter.

Karl Urban Is Bones.. Bearded Bones.. is Fine..

LOL sooooo many predicted this! How do you announce a film including shooting date if you haven’t worked it out or officially signed anyone yet? Just so bizarre.

I really hope they work something out even if they have to delay filming (it will already be over 7 years since Beyond if the film hits its release date, what’s another few months?). For me, Urban/Bones makes these movies. Absolutely loved him in Beyond . And yeah it’s a beard. In the Kelvin universe, he simply decided to keep it. Crisis solved. Spock wore a beard for all off season 2 of Discovery, the internet didn’t implode over it.

BTW, I’ve never seen The Boys. But I know, It’s supposed to be really good. Will give it a chance at some point.

If you decide to check out The Boys just a heads-up that it’s definitely not a family friendly show. Ultra violent and lots of profanity.

Yeah I know. But I also watched GOT, so I will be fine on that end. But thanks for the heads up!

Profanity is just words. People make WAY too much of a deal about that.

No disagreement from me. I don’t care about the profanity but there are people who do.

Urban is essential & lots of screen time also! He is the fans no1 favourite character & actor!!! He can wear a fake beard in the boys anyway! Sure they can work it out I do not expect to see the movie in winter 2023 more like summer 2024!

Or he can just wear a real beard in the movie. ;)

I also agree, I see this movie being pushed back as well. I been saying that for awhile for a number of reasons. This might be another one.

Has anyone gotten a word from Zachary Quinto on how he feels recently?

My guess is, it’ll sound something like this….’Spock is an iconic character, and I’d look forward to returning to the role. I’ve not seen a script, so I can’t speak to how a potential role would play out. I can speak to a commitment when I know what is being asked of me”. Or something like that.

Well he was spotted with Chris Pine in NY a few days ago so I guess they are talking Trek between them & or their agents!

They looked like they were training together, getting in shape for STXIV

If Karl Urban is not in it I may die Bones has always been my favorite character and KU is perfect for the roll. And the man could be hairy as a monkey and I would still love his acting.

At the very best, this is going get delayed, most of the cast are busy actors with other commitments. Karl is just the first to comment on that aspect. Paramount/CBS are a bizzarely run company.

Just cast Sofia Boutella in the film, add Jaylah to the crew, and I’ll be sooo there! :)

Hear, hear!

In the wake of Anton Yelchin’s death, this would be the smartest move, imo. Simply write in an excuse why Chekov isn’t there (Reliant), and put Jaylah in his spot. She was one of the stand-outs in Beyond, I think, and it would add another female to the main cast. Win-win for the writers and the studio.

Thanks for the positive feedback on my suggestion! I’ve been for this casting idea since the first time I saw BEYOND with my beloved late wife (who was a bit jealous that I kept talking about Jaylah)! :)

I think Paramount needs to scrap this idea, the sooner the better. Lens flares, Kirk being cringy hiding under a female’s bed, a British Khan, and Fast & Furious in space has gotten old. Give us a thought provoking story with good drama and acting, and have a ship composed of crew from TNG, DS9, and Voyager.

They are going to stick with it for one more film it looks like. But if this doesn’t bring them the results they want I would like to see something different in the next one.

I like the Kelvin movies but I don’t need high octane action in every movie either. But I don’t see that changing with these though. But that’s the issue fans want something smaller and thought provoking but for Paramount they want big flashy movies because they think it’s the only way to get non-fans on board.

Don’t forget motorcycles and Beastie Boys music. If we could leave those out of the next one, that’d be great.

The beastie boys music was great. GROW UP..

“Grow Up.” I’m 55, and I thought the inclusion of it sucked in Beyond. It pulled me right out what otherwise was a pretty cool scene. Glad you thought it was ‘great,’ but that’s just your opinion.

No.

Yeah, a reunion movie would sell a few thousand tickets.

I don’t see this movie doing well at all. The three Kelvin universe films that have been released had the benefit of being the only Trek around. This one will be released while five or six Trek series are also being released so they are going to have make this really special to get people to show up now that the movies have competition for Trek fans attention. I don’t see that happening with JJ Abrams in charge so this will probably bomb

the only reason I can think as to why they are doing a belated 4th film (aside doing some market research to find everyone still digs the cast so better to go with them over a new crew) is due to the crazy success of Marvels multiverse and are going to be doing Star Treks version of No Way Home/Multiverse of Madness featuring the Kelvin cast encountering the primeverse and all that would entail. Basically the Orci ST3 on crack with not just (deaged) Shatner but cameos/support roles from various Trek casts (think Yesterdays Enterprise meets Bring Back Kirk), Shatner would be like the Toby Maguire of the film however.

Yeah that’s what I thought when the TOS and TNG films were happening when the shows were on. Star Trek films were no longer alone and you were getting it weekly…for free (in America). The early TOS and all the Kelvin movies had no other Trek to compete with. That’s all it was, so even if people weren’t happy over the movies a lot went because that was your only option for new content.

Today is very different, as you said there will probably be five shows happening next year too. There will be the hardcore that will rush out to see it, but I don’t know about how many after that. That’s why I’m hoping the budget is much lower. But then you can look at it another way I guess and we haven’t had a film in over 5 years now and I know a lot of people will be happy to see one in a theater again. It will feel special since it’s been awhile and if it’s good even better. And I think the Kelvin cast still have enough fans to make it worth while, I’m just not sure many are itching to see them in a theater and can wait until it hits Blu Ray or Paramoutn+. So it can go either way but the fanfare is not going to be there like it was back in 2009 or 2013 since fans weren’t getting 50 hours of Trek content at home and already years since the last show.

If it indeed does finally make it to the big screen, I hope that fans will at least not have preconceived ideas about it and just label it as “another Kelvin/Abrams” movie and will not boycott the movie because it was not what they(the fans) wanted from Paramount. Not everyone is a fan of the 5 or 6 TV shows currently on Paramount+. Some fans actually liked the Kelvin movies, lens flares and all.

I think most will at least be opened minded since it is the first film in over five years. And I don’t think fans shunned these movies as much as others believe. Yes, the fanbase is divided on them for sure, but most will watch them if you give them a reason to go. Beyond suffered for a lot of reasons and part of it was certainly apathy. But that was also due to the fact it didn’t feel like a ‘must-see’ film, at least something people had to go to the theater for. It just felt as you said, another Kelvin movie, but really didn’t feel it offered anything special beyond that, so it was easy to just wait until it landed on Blu Ray or cable and catch it there.

The next film has to feel a bit more special or a real hook to bring them in. If it’s just another bad guy who wants to destroy the Federation for reasons with a lot of shiny FX and explosions, then it will just feel like another tired Kelvin movie to many…me included.

The first film was “okay” but I wasn’t too wild about it. I thought STID was “exciting” with a few fantastic action sequences, but I didn’t like the film very much, overall. However, BEYOND was the one I liked most of the three films, by far. And as far as the current tv shows, PICARD is my favorite, due to the delightful presence of Sir Patrick, and some of the guest appearances as well. DISCO is much better once they got past the dark and overly violent first two seasons of Klingon stuff, but I like it more now. I just don’t have the time for or interest in the animated shows at all.

I think the 4th Kelvin film will do fine, as long as they don’t go overboard on the budget!

If it doesn’t do well the fact that there are shows currently existing on P+ will not be the reason. I’d wager that a lot of people going to see this movie may not even be aware that P+ even exists. And a lot of those who do know it exists and actually subscribe, many will be hungry for decent Trek. Something that has been pretty scarce from P+. And since 2 of the existing 3 KU Trek films were above mediocre at worst, I’d say that a lot of them are thinking the odds of a decent Trek story in a KU feature are much higher than getting one from P+. I don’t think the fact that P+ Trek shows exist will really hurt or harm the performance of a feature. But if forced to pick one or the other I think it has a better chance of helping some.

I agree – I would imagine P+ isn’t even on the radar of your average movie-going crowd.

He can have the beard, but only if he wears the disco (not Disco) medallion as well.

They would be crazy not include Urban who’s portrayal of McCoy is loved by fans and critics like.

I’m sure he will appear.

Karl Urban is a must! More so than any of the other actors. I hope that Paramount understands that.

Fans also want him back as Judge Dredd. He is quite in demand. The question is how does he find the time to do all of it.

I hope they use him a lot more. I miss the old Kirk, Spock, McCoy dynamic.