Sam Richardson Told Us the Big Way Star Trek: Section 31 Differs from The Franchise’s Shows, And It Totally Makes Sense

The first glimpse of Star Trek: Section 31 was released recently, and other from my strong want to see this adventure come to the big screen, the teaser didn’t give much away about the film. Thankfully, Sam Richardson and other cast members gave Cinema Blend the opportunity to chat with the cast during San Diego Comic-Con, where we gained personal knowledge about how Section 31 will differ from other upcoming Star Trek films.

Sam Richardson, an Emmy winner and comedian who admits to being a die-hard Star Trek fan, will be appearing in Section 31 as the first Chameloid to be seen on screen since Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. When I asked the performers what made this Michelle Yeoh-starring film different from previous Trek offerings, director Olutande Osunsanmi bowed to Richardson. With the prominent figures we see in the video, it is clear that the actor revealed something important:

One thing that sets Section 31 apart from other Trek versions is its strong Naval theme. There is a hierarchy, etiquette, and chain of command on this ship. On the other hand, this motley crew has everything, but it’s a little hazier. Thus, [Olatunde Osunsanmi] allowed us to play about with that and add a little improvisation here and there without deviating from the excellent script. However, things could always be a bit dirtier.

Although conventional Starfleet members hear rumors of Section 31, the shadow operations branch of the organization is not formally recognized by the organization. When all other conventional diplomatic channels fail, their objective is to advance the Federation’s objectives, and they are given sufficient clout to operate just beyond the bounds of acceptable behaviour. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense that they don’t always function like a regular ship with its chain of command, thus there’s some leeway.

This isn’t exactly new information; seasoned viewers may recall Malcolm Reed from Star Trek: Enterprise, who was assigned to carry out Section 31 objectives covertly and wasn’t even permitted to advise Captain Archer, his supervisor, of his progress. This is due to the fact that some of the organization’s operations are nefarious and, to be honest, would be disapproved of if other Starfleet members became aware of their missions.

However, even Section 31 has its limitations, which is why Kacey Rohl will portray Rachel Garrett from Star Trek: The Next Generation in the film. She’s there, as the teaser suggests, to make sure that nobody in the crew kills anybody else throughout the mission, but it’s also possible that she’s there to make sure that nobody kills anybody else.

Cinema Blend was reassured by director Olutande Osunsanmi that Star Trek: Section 31 remains true to its roots in the Star Trek world, despite the fact that viewers with a Paramount+ subscription may notice discrepancies between the film and the television series. Sam Richardson concurred, adding that he and the others still had to deal with the “Treknobabble” that all other actors in the Trek franchise must deal with:

I had to perform some tech talk from a made-up science [laughs]!

As previously stated, Richardson will portray a Chameloid, a species of shape-shifter that has only been encountered once in Star Trek. Their eyes will always be the same color, no matter how much they alter in appearance.

Though I still believe having a shapeshifter on your clandestine squad is a tremendous benefit, I can see how that may be a problem.

There will be other Star Trek movies in the works, but Star Trek: Section 31 will be the first to see theaters in a while. In addition to the upcoming film on the Starfleet’s beginnings, the fourth Kelvin timeline film is still in the works. Patrick Stewart also hinted at the possibility of a Picard film, but before I take it as a confirmed project, I need to hear more information from another source. In any event, fans should be thrilled to see Trek return to the big screen. It’s fantastic to see the series take off again.

Star Trek: Section 31 will premiere on Paramount+ in “early 2025,” though I still have my heart set on seeing some sort of theatrical release. Let’s hope that enough people can make noise to make it happen, leading to Trek making a big return to theaters.

Star Trek: Section 31: What We Know About The Michelle Yeoh Movie

Star Trek: Section 31 has finally taken flight after a protracted gestation, having been revealed at the start of 2019. We’re finally learning a lot more details about the Michelle Yeoh-starring picture, which was originally intended to be another thrilling new upcoming Star Trek series for fans of Paramount+. The project was changed into a movie for the streamer by early 2023.

Let’s dive straight into what we currently know about the film, which will of course follow Mirror Universe Philippa Georgiou on her space exploits with Starfleet’s ultra-secret, unauthorized black ops team, Section 31!

When Does Section 31 Become Available?

Mate, hold on to your sci-fi shooting, stabbing, and strutting horses! We don’t even have a release window or date for Star Trek: Section 31 as of mid-July 2024. At the end of January 2024, we learned that the film was finally underway when the official Paramount+ Instagram account revealed that filming had begun and provided us with our first glimpse:

The extremely secret spy group is starting to leak information about the project, although individuals involved are probably holding off on announcing it until further in the post-production phase. And, that could leave us waiting for a date for a while, as this action-packed, and probably special effects heavy film is going to be worked on for quite a bit. However, just because we are without a firm release date, that doesn’t mean we’re in the dark on all things Section 31!

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Michelle Yeoh Made A Comeback To Cast Of Star Trek: Section 31 

Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh is back in the movie as Philippa Georgiou, as previously confirmed and as evidenced by the social media post above. Apart from principal photography wrapping up (which we’ll talk more about later), this is maybe the best news we could have received on the highly anticipated forthcoming Star Trek film. Why? Because Yeoh is a well-known and adored badass who brought all of her bedside to both the cunning and devoted Terran Emperor Georgiou—the character we’ll be following in this new saga—and the kind and gentle Prime Universe Georgiou.

Additional Star Trek Cast Members: Section 31

Along with revealing that filming had started, Paramount also disclosed the identities of a number of the cast members who will be accompanying Yeoh on Georgiou’s secret mission.

Richardson, Sam

Undoubtedly, Sam Richardson is a rising star who has gained popularity in recent years. Although he earned an Emmy in 2023 for his three-episode guest performance on Ted Lasso as haughty businessman Edwin Akufo, the actor/com comedian is also well-known from his roles in The Detroiters and The Afterparty on Apple TV+. In addition, Richardson is well-known from her prominent roles in the motion pictures Good Boys and Promising Young Woman as well as television series Veep, New Girl, and The Office.

Kacey Rohl

In addition to her roles on Arrow and The Magicians as Marina and Alena, Kacey Rohl has made appearances on Wayward Pines, Hannibal, and The Killing, as well as in the Hallmark film The Wedding Veil Inspiration.

Omari Hardwick

You’re undoubtedly familiar with Omari Hardwick if you watched the Stars Series Power, where he played James’s “Ghost” St. Patrick. But he may also have appeared in films such as Shot Caller, Sorry to Bother You, Army of the Dead, and The Mother.

Kazinsky Robert

Robert Kazinsky is a well-known actor who has starred in films and television series like Captain Marvel, Warcraft, The Gray Man, Pacific Rim, and True Blood.

Liao James Hiroyuki

James Hiroyuki Liao has been starring in movies and television shows like Snake Eyes and Manifest, as well as roles in SEAL Team, Unforgettable, Barry, Blue Bloods, and Orphan Black: Echoes.

González, Humber 

Humberly González is well known to fans for her portrayal of Sophie in the Netflix series Ginny & Georgia, but she has also starred in films such as Nobody and Hallmark’s Friends & Family Christmas, as well as major roles in In the Dark, Utopia Falls, and Jupiter’s Legacy.

Ruygrok Sven

In addition to playing Cabaji in One Piece, Sven Ruygrok has appeared in television series such as Warrior, Around the World in 80 Days, and Pulse. While we currently don’t know who any of these performers will be playing, we can probably anticipate learning more about that during the course of the following few months.

What’s Covered in Star Trek: Section 31?

What precisely will be the plot of Star Trek: Section 31 now that we know it has been filmed and who will be appearing with Michelle Yeoh? Here are the main story points, as disclosed by Paramount+ when casting and production details were made public:

In addition to her duty to defend the United Federation of Planets, [Georgiou] has to deal with her previous transgressions.

Alright, I know that’s not a whole lot to go on, but if there’s one thing we know, it’s that the former emperor has a past positively filled with sins, so any number of devious deeds could be coming back to haunt her and make her new life an even more dangerous living hell.