After hearing about the behind-the-scenes impact “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” and its titular antagonist had on subsequent entries in the franchise, it’s easy to see how later films were pushed to emulate that winning formula. From General Chang in “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country” to the Borg Queen in “Star Trek: First Contact,” many central antagonists clearly took inspiration from Khan’s archetype to varying degrees of success.
It took decades for the Star Trek film franchise to start fresh after “The Wrath of Khan,” with a complete reboot of the continuity arriving in 2009’s “Star Trek.” However, even a complete overhaul couldn’t last long without acknowledging Khan. Indeed, the sequel “Star Trek Into Darkness” serves as a quasi-remake of “The Wrath of Khan” and reintroduces the character, portrayed in this instance by Benedict Cumberbatch.
Even now, more than four entire decades since “The Wrath of Khan” first broke onto the scene, Star Trek still feels the influence of both the film and Khan as a character in various projects. The TV shows also draw inspiration, with “Star Trek: Picard” Season 3 taking a cue from “The Wrath of Khan” and “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” introducing a descendant of the antagonist as a major character. It seems that both Starfleet and the creative forces behind Star Trek will never be truly rid of the most iconic villain to ever hit the franchise.
