Quentin Tarantino has long been linked to the prospect of directing a Star Trek film, and the franchise appears to be signaling the type of story that might capture his interest with the launch of Star Trek: Red Shirts #1 by IDW Publishing. This new comic series, released recently, taps into the R-rated, violent style that Tarantino fans expect while focusing on the fatal missions of the classic expendable crew members known as Red Shirts.
Written by Christopher Cantwell with artwork from Megan Levens, Star Trek: Red Shirts #1 immediately immerses readers in brutal action, sending its all-Red Shirt away team on a high-risk mission with little chance of survival, reflecting the grim fate these characters often face. The comic’s tone, dark humor, and graphic violence cohere in a way that feels intentionally tailored to a Quentin Tarantino Star Trek film.
A Gritty and Dark Take on Star Trek’s Most Disposable Crew Members
The first issue wastes no time establishing its violent atmosphere, opening with rookie Ensign Miller being attacked by a Mugato, a ferocious beast from Star Trek lore. This sets a brutal precedent that signals a more graphic and mature version of Star Trek than fans have traditionally seen. Miller, despite surviving the gruesome encounter, carries deep scars, making him one of the rare Red Shirts to live through a disaster.
As the story progresses, the mission’s deadly nature becomes even clearer. Two new characters, Duntley and Meng, are swiftly and unceremoniously killed off early in the mission, a grim nod to the long-standing Star Trek trope where Red Shirts rarely survive away missions. This moment carries a distinctly Tarantino-esque blend of sharp wit and dark comedy, as the surviving crew members react almost indifferently to these fatalities.
Star Trek: Red Shirts refuses to offer a sanitized voyage and instead leans fully into a perilous, violent frontier. The plot centers on an away team deployed to a distant planet with the goal of drawing out and capturing a spy, a scenario that increasingly overwhelms the team, highlighting their vulnerability. This blend of high stakes and bleak humor makes the story feel like it was designed with Tarantino’s unique directorial style in mind.
As the story unfolds, readers will witness how the series continues to explore these dangerous missions and whether any of the Red Shirts defy their doomed reputation. The comic’s tone and premise underscore the type of energetic, violent storytelling that a Quentin Tarantino Star Trek film would likely embody.
Unrealized Tarantino Film and the “A Piece of the Action” Script
Quentin Tarantino’s passion for Star Trek is well known among fans, and years ago he developed a script for a Star Trek movie. However, his proposed project was quite different from what Red Shirts offers. His script was reportedly an adaptation of the classic Original Series episode “A Piece of the Action,” which featured the Enterprise crew discovering a civilization modeled on 1920s Chicago gangsters.
This script would have transplanted Star Trek away from space battles into the realm of a Prohibition-era crime drama, a concept that clearly aligned with Tarantino’s love of gangster narratives. Despite the potential for a unique film, Paramount Pictures, the rights holder, was hesitant to back a feature that removed the characters from the traditional “final frontier” setting.
In contrast, the Red Shirts comic retains all the essential Star Trek elements but infuses the story with heavy doses of violence and a grim atmosphere. It is widely speculated that this sort of story—combining Tarantino’s trademark style with Star Trek’s universe—would be far more appealing to studio executives who want to keep the franchise grounded in its well-established sci-fi territory. The debut issue of Red Shirts already showcases this blend, possibly making it closer to the ideal Quentin Tarantino Star Trek film than his original pitch.
Highlighting the ‘Red Shirt’ Trope as Central Characters
In Star Trek, Red Shirts have traditionally represented expendable crew members whose primary role is to increase suspense by dying during missions so the main characters remain safe. Over time, the trope of the Red Shirt becoming a guaranteed casualty has become cliché within the series’ storytelling framework.
By making Red Shirts the protagonists, this comic reshapes their narrative significance from minor, forgotten characters into individuals whose deaths carry weight and tragedy. It humanizes their plight and brings new depth to the Star Trek universe, showing the harsh reality faced by Starfleet’s most vulnerable members rather than merely using them as plot devices.
This approach not only enriches the Star Trek mythos but also aligns with Tarantino’s fascination with marginalized characters and gritty narratives. The comic’s realistic portrayal of Red Shirts’ grim fates, combined with dark humor and graphic violence, evokes the essence of films like Inglourious Basterds, reinforcing the idea that such a story could translate well to Tarantino’s filmmaking style.
Red Shirts functions as a proof of concept demonstrating what a Quentin Tarantino Star Trek movie might look like—raw, intense, and unafraid to explore the darkest corners of the franchise’s lore.
The Future of the Tarantino Star Trek Film Possibility
While many fans may deem the prospect of Tarantino directing a Star Trek film unlikely at present, history has shown that such projects can go from unlikely to reality unexpectedly. The dismissal of Tarantino’s original “A Piece of the Action” adaptation did not close the door on his collaboration with the franchise, and Red Shirts reignites imagination about what a collaboration between Tarantino’s vision and Star Trek could produce.
With the comic already delivering the violent, dark, and sharply written narrative that Tarantino fans crave, it stands as a strong argument for revisiting the idea of a Tarantino Star Trek film. It combines the gritty intensity and offbeat humor characteristic of Tarantino’s films with Star Trek’s expansive sci-fi world, offering a fresh, edgy take that could redefine the franchise for a new generation.
Our Reader’s Queries
Q. Is Quentin Tarantino neurodivergent?
A. Some well-known filmmakers who are recognized as neurodivergent include Steve McQueen, David Lean, Charlie Chaplin, and Stan Brakhage. Others are Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, and Alejandro G. Iñárritu.
