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The Trailer for Star Trek Beyond Promises a Return to the Spirit of 2009’s Star Trek

Chris Pine as Captain Kirk in Star Trek Beyond.
The trailer includes a callback to Captain Kirk’s beginnings.

Still from the trailer

At long last, the first trailer for the Justin Lin-directed Star Trek Beyond has landed—with a very clever callback to 2009’s Star Trek. 2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness might have floundered a bit in the eyes of some fans, but if this trailer is to be believed, this newest offering is aligning itself with the reboot series’ original film.

About that callback. Superfans might recall that the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” played toward the beginning of Star Trek, as we first met the kid who would become Captain Kirk. In that widely acclaimed movie, the captain-to-be had stolen a car. In the trailer, it plays as Kirk has no ship—or crew, apparently, which could make it tough to go up against Idris Elba’s thus-far mysterious villain. While this movie could still slip up (remember the “mystery” around the last villain?), the captain’s assessment of this direction is correct: “Good choice.”