If there was ever going to be a director to sneak R2 into “Star Trek,” it would be J.J. Abrams. Easter eggs and sly references have been a staple of the director’s for decades, going as far back as his TV days. He’s already created a veritable multiverse of shows and movies by including the fictional drink Slusho! in his projects, beginning with season 1 of “Alias.” The drink has since made appearances in shows like “Lost” and “Fringe,” as well as movies like “Cloverfield” and “Super 8.” In fact, early in the 2009 “Trek” movie, Uhura (Zoe Saldana) orders a Slusho! at a cantina, expanding the drink’s already impressive reach.
Considering Abrams would transition directly from “Into Darkness” to helping launch the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy with “The Force Awakens,” the decision to slyly work in R2-D2 seems obvious in retrospect. As far as Abrams’ explanation for the inclusion, it’s pretty simple — he just wanted to pay homage to a beloved franchise. “R2’s really been in all of the movies I’ve done, really for no other reason than I’m a huge fan,” he told Yahoo! in 2013.
While Abrams would eventually be able to properly work with R2 in the “Star Wars” franchise, the stalwart droid’s brief appearances in the “Star Trek” movies show fans how much the director loves both universes.
