The Star Trek podcast: Khan was originally imagined as a TV series

When Star Trek: the original series For the first time, Khan Noonien Singh was only one of the many bad guys who met the Enterprise crew. Played by Ricardo Montalbán In the 1967 episode “Space Seed”, Khan seemed destined to be a one -off antagonist.

This changed in 1982 when Montalbán returned Star Trek II: The Wrath of KhanCementando Khan as one of the most iconic bad guys in the franchise. Years later, Benedict Cumberbatch would even take on the role in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Now the story of Khan has returned once again Star Trek: KhanA series of scripted podcasts that digs over the years between Space Seed and Khan’s wrath. But here’s the interesting part, it shouldn’t have been a podcast.

In fact, the original concept of Wrath of Khan director Nicholas Meyer It was to tell this story as a television miniseries.

Meyer imagined three episodes that would have explored Khan’s exile on Ceti Alpha V. but according to the co-writer Kirsten Beyerwho developed the podcast with David MackTranslating Meyer’s idea into the modern Star Trek canon was not as simple as it seemed. He explained:

“I think, however, that initially there were a couple of issues, which mainly had to deal with the fact that when Nick did Khan’s Wrath for the first time, there were about 80 hours of existing Star Trek.

“Now there are like 900 and, in good, I have all this in my head. So I could immediately understand how certain things he was doing and the ways he was playing with the story would have actually had enormous impacts that have clashed in what is now there that is not aware, and that will take you out of history.”

When Khan’s wrath Incarnas theaters, the franchise was relatively small, composed of the original series, the animated show and Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Today there are countless hours of tradition in several shows and films. As someone who wrote Star Trek Novels, comics and episodes, Beyer knew that fans would be ready to identify contradictions.

“Because you never want your readers or your fans to look at a story and be similar, ‘Wait, it’s not what I already think I know. How should I make sense of these two things together? Why do this bring them out of history and you have lost them, a little. So I need to do it.

The story of Star Trek: Khan He takes immediately after Space Seed, when Khan, Marla McGivers and the other increases were exiled to Ceti Alpha V. In the following two decades, the planet is devastated when Ceti Alpha explodes there, transforming their new home into a desolate land. Marla dies during this period, leaving Khan broken long before his fateful meeting with Captain Kirk.

The podcast also includes a shot that brings familiarity Star Trek faces. George Takei returns like Hikaru Sulu, e Tim Russ He resumes his role as Tuvok, helping to tie Khan’s story in the greatest Star Trek universe. As Beyer said:

“And also, it was my notion from the beginning that we should have prepared not only Khan’s story, but finding a way to talk about his relevance for the wider universe and history of Star Trek.

“And it is from there that the story of shot comes, giving some characters the perspective that the public has. That it is: ‘Ok, we remember where Khan started. We know how he ended with Khan’s wrath. We think we know this boy,’ and then we take them to the trip.”

Beyer described Meyer’s vision as a “tragedy” that shows “this man who was terribly misunderstood by history and brought us through the series of events that led to this.” That vision remains at the center of the podcast, with Naveen Andrews express Khan e Wrenn Schmidt Like Marla.

The first episode of Star Trek: Khan It is streaming now on podcast platforms, with new episodes that fall every Monday to 3 November. For those who keep up with the wider franchise, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds He is destined to finish his third season in 2025, while Starfleet Academy It will be previewed at the beginning of 2026 on Paramount+.

Away: cinemablend