J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Almost Had Kirk & Uhura Swap Starships

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Star Trek

Star Trek (2009) set Lt. Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) on an altered career trajectory where they almost end up switching starships. Director J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot successfully recast the iconic characters from Star Trek: The Original Series with younger actors. Set in the alternate Kelvin timeline, Star Trek (2009)'s characters lived different lives than in Star Trek's Prime timeline, including how they all met and became the crew of the USS Enterprise.

Star Trek (2009)'s Kelvin timeline was created by Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan time traveler seeking revenge on Ambassador Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the United Federation of Planets. Nero implemented his plan to annihilate the Federation in 2258, destroying a Klingon moon and armada with his massive 24th-century starship, the Narada. While a Cadet at Starfleet Academy, Uhura decoded a Klingon distress call. During James T. Kirk's hearing for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru no-win scenario, Starfleet was mobilized to defend Vulcan from Nero's attack.

Kirk & Uhura Almost Swapped Starships in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek 2009

Spock Nearly Sent Uhura To The USS Farragut

Starfleet Academy placed its Cadets on active duty to intercept Nero and protect Vulcan and assigned the trainees to various starships. While Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban) helped James T. Kirk stow away aboard the Federation's newly built flagship, the USS Enterprise, Nyota Uhura was incensed when she found out Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) assigned her to the USS Farragut. As Uhura and Spock were in a romantic relationship, the Vulcan acquiesced Nyota when she demanded to be assigned to the Enterprise.

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In Star Trek's Prime timeline, it's James T. Kirk who serves on the USS Farragut before he becomes Captain of the Enterprise. Kirk was a Lieutenant on the Farragut and rose up to become First Officer. In Star Trek (2009), neither Kirk nor Uhura serve aboard the Farragut. Ironically, Uhura's insistence on being assigned to the USS Enterprise saved her life. The Farragut and the rest of Starfleet's armada was destroyed by Nero. The Enterprise was only spared because it arrived late, but this good fortune kept Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) and his crew alive.

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We Finally See Kirk How Kirk And Uhura Join The Enterprise

Star Trek: The Original Series never depicted how the crew of the Starship Enterprise came together, and J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (2009) served as the ersatz origin of the Enterprise crew in both the Prime and Kelvin realities. However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a prequel set in Star Trek's Prime Timeline and reveals how the future crew commanded by Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) gradually assembled. It turns out Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) was a Starfleet Cadet when she was assigned to the Enterprise under Captain Pike (Anson Mount).

In an alternate future timeline seen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1's finale, Kirk was Captain of the USS Farragut, not the Enterprise.

Meanwhile, Lt. James T. Kirk was serving on the USS Farragut and became First Officer in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2. Kirk meets Uhura when he beams aboard the Enterprise to learn from Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn), Captain Pike's First Officer. After helping Uhura and becoming her friend, Nyota introduced Kirk to Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck). Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' history between Kirk and Uhura begins quite differently than in Star Trek (2009), but they become united aboard the Starship Enterprise in both timelines.