Posted in: Disney+, Marvel, Opinion, Paramount+, TV, TV | Tagged: Marvel Studios, Marvel Television, opinion, paramount, star trek: legacy, Terry Matalas, vision

Star Trek: Matalas/"Vision" Good News Doesn't Mean "Legacy" Bad News

Today's news that Terry Matalas has joined Marvel Studios' "Vision" series as showrunner has some Star Trek: Legacy hopefuls feeling nervous - but here's why they can relax and take a deep breath.

Published Wed, 22 May 2024 19:38:10 -0500

by Ray Flook

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Great news! Terry Matalas is going to be the showrunner and spearhead a new series for a major franchise! Unfortunately for "Star Trek" fans, it isn't the series that they hoped it would be. In case you missed the news from earlier today, Matalas has been tapped by Marvel Studios/Marvel Television for a new "Vision" series set for 2026 – with Paul Bettany returning to the role for the first time since WandaVision. As expected, social media was flooded with congratulations and well-wishes – and who can blame Kevin Feige for making the call? After what Matalas was able to accomplish with the third season of Star Trek: Picard, it's only understandable that he would end up on a lot of studios' radars. But it didn't take long for a whole lot of "Star Trek" fans to start getting nervous, proud of Matalas's new opportunity, but feeling pessimistic about the chances of Star Trek: Legacy ever becoming a reality now that he's over with Marvel Studios.

With that in mind – some thoughts. First off, Matalas working with Marvel Studios doesn't mean that he's locked in for the rest of his professional life. Also, it's not unthinkable for Matalas to work on two major franchises at the same time. And then there's Matalas himself, who has gone on the record more times than I could count without getting a nosebleed for his love for the "Star Trek" universe and for his being given the opportunity to build upon it. While I know nothing about the man personally, I think it would be safe to say that his passion for Gene Roddenberry's vision isn't going away anytime soon. In fact, if Matalas can do for the "Vision' series what he did for "Picard" (and we're not doubting him for a second), it increases his ability to get green lights for other projects.

What doesn't help matters? Obviously, we can't look past the Paramount factor. After a hugely successful final season of "Picard" on Matalas's resume, we thought that Star Trek: Legacy would've been a given. But there's a whole lot of uncertainty in and around Paramount lately – with the company making decisions about the future of the franchise even as Paramount's own future remains uncertain. Personally, we wouldn't want to see Star Trek: Legacy getting a go-ahead until there's more stability in terms of where the franchise will eventually be calling home. And then there's the Marvel factor.

Earlier this week, Marvel Studios rolled out the return of the Marvel Television banner, which focuses on streaming series connected to the MCU that you don't need a doctorate in "MCU-ology" to enjoy. With a "Vision" series, we're talking about a project that comes with quite a bit of film and series backstory – more than what could be handled with a "Previously On…" to kick off the first episode. Based on what we just described, how could Marvel not bring in Matalas? That's exactly what he did with "Picard" Season 3. He brought in cast members and storylines from other series and from franchise lore, making them matter – making them count – and giving viewers just enough intel on all of it to keep them invested in the action and intrigue while never losing the long-devoted fans. When Matalas does that, it would be hard to imagine Feige not wanting to keep him on the Marvel creative family.

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