A month ago Anton Yelchin was killed in a tragic accident on his property, leaving behind a rich resume of big screen work. He’ll be best remembered for his role as Pavel Chekov in the rebooted Star Trek film series. While promoting Star Trek Beyond, producer J.J. Abrams says Yelchin will not be replaced in the recently announced upcoming fourth film.
Yelchin completed work on the latest Trek film before his death, which hits theaters on Friday, but will Chekov have a role in the next installment confirmed by Paramount on Monday?
Speaking to the Toronto Sun, Abrams was clear there will not be another actor playing the Russian Starfleet Ensign.
“I would say there’s no replacing him. There’s no recasting. I can’t possibly imagine that, and I think Anton deserves better,” Abrams said, and hasn’t yet decided how to address the character’s absence in future films. Will Chekov be killed off? “I have thought about it, we’re working on it, and it’s too early to talk about it,” he said.
Sadly, Yelchin is not the only cast member of the Trek family to pass away since 2013’s Into Darkness was released.
“We knew going into this movie it would be a bit of a heartbreak just because of Leonard (Nimoy, the original Spock, who died as Star Trek Beyond was in pre-production, and whose death is noted in the plot). We had no idea just how devastating events would become.”
SOURCE: Toronto Sun
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