For the lucky ones who have Disney+ and have seen the limited series produced for it that are set in the exciting MCU franchise, the first such series, “WandaVision,” must have been initially confusing. As the episodes went on however, it is revealed to be a quirky and scary story of meta proportions while also being a love letter to sitcoms of each decade from the 1950s to 2000s. This phenomenal feat, which has earned “WandaVision” a Primetime Emmy nomination, can be contributed partly to the director, Matt Shakman. Film studios have noticed too, as he has recently been tapped for an iconic sci-fi franchise.

In a report by Variety, TV director Matt Shakman, fresh off the recognition for his “WandaVision” MCU series on Disney+, was chosen by Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot to helm a new film for “Star Trek,” the first since 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond.” Attached to produce this upcoming project is J.J. Abrams, also producer of “Beyond” and director of the 2009 “Star Trek” movie that serves as the starting point of the “Kelvin Timeline” reboot. No cast is attached yet, but the film has a screenplay being worked on by Lindsay Beer and Geneva Robertson.

Being tasked to direct a new film about going where no man has gone before in a cool starship like the USS Enterprise is going to be a nice challenge for Shakman. Compared to his expansive TV directing credits since 2002, including “Fargo,” “Ugly Betty” and even two episodes of “Game of Thrones,” his sole stint at cinematic filmmaking is 2014 indie thriller “Cut Bank.” He also has to pick up the slack for “Star Trek Beyond,” which while well-reviewed and (technical) Oscar-nominated, was low-grossing compared to its preceding Kelvin Timeline films. It is also not known if Shakman’s “Star Trek” film is another Kelvin installment or a new setting.

Apparently Paramount and Bad Robot are impressed enough with the visuals and storytelling of “WandaVision” and believe it would translate well into a space opera of a well-established franchise. While Trekkies do get their fix in the original TV (or streaming) series format with “Star Trek Discovery,” “Star Trek Picard” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” a “Trek” movie is always a chance to take a story about the Enterprise crew and go as big as can be done. Time will tell if Matt Shakman is an inspired directing choice, as the film is still early in development at this point.

Image from Comic Book Resources