Fifty years on, are we closer to the peaceful future of Star Trek?

We ask Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, Karl Urban, John Cho & Justin Lin.

On the 8th September 1966,Star Trekmade its debut on US television.

Discussing the legacy of the series in 1988, Roddenberrydescribedthe themes hed tried to explore up to that point.

Star Trekspeaks to some basic human needs, Roddenberry said.

AndStar Trekis about those things.

What relevance doesStar Trekhave in the present?

Heres what they had to say.

Theres the Brexit thats just gone on, the rise of extremism.

[Star Trek]came about at a similarly tumultuous time in America.

Sadly, there are some parallels that are happening right now.

And its testing our values as a society.

Its not a political answer, its just a cultural answer.

The theme of this one is that family bends but doesnt break, you know?

Theres something beautiful about it.

I hope people have an appetite for that message.

Personally, no I dont believe we are [closer to the future depicted inStar Trek].

Its sad, but I think thats part of whyStar Treks important.

Its a beacon, its a lighthouse, as it were, a vision of humanity.

It shows how we can operate at the highest level and be the best that we can be.

I think I disagree.

In the 60s, there was not a consensus on that.

There was a debate about the superiority of the races or something, but that was still a debate.

Now, at least, maybe culturally were policing that more.

Now, in practice, thats not happening, but at least theres not that debate.

Alright, look… the ideologys always been there.

It was present in the 60s, thats whyStar Trekwas created.

But you asked whether were closer to this utopian vision?

I just dont think we are.

Not at this time.

But now we can.

And ironically, George is the one whos objecting, but that doesnt seem to be the case worldwide.

So it seems there is some marker…

I know what youre saying.

There is some progression, yeah.

In terms of certain microcosmic changes in society, for sure.

But still, globally?

[pauses] What a downer.

It became very interesting to me to venture to deconstruct that.

Its been around for 50 years and you see this crew, and you see the Federation utopia.

And sometimes thats assumed, you know?

I grew up watching the original series on reruns, and it was very unique.

I saw people from very diverse backgrounds together on a shared journey.

That was my first sense that family doesnt have to be by blood; its about a shared journey.

Hopefully, again, it reaffirms [Star Trek] and propels it for another 50 years.

The other is less tolerant and more judgemental and more fear-driven and fear-based.

I like this film because theres a simplicity to the theme.

Its essentially the question that it asks is, Is the Federation good?

Not to be super reductive about, thats what it feels like its about, to me.

No one can survive on their own.

To think you’re free to do it alone is just ridiculous.

The advancement of technology has probably guided us more than anything else in one direction or another.

I dont know, its hard to say.

Were so much more connected, but weve never been more fractured as a culture.

Were going to be up against challenges that we can barely fathom at this point.

Were teetering on the edge, I would say.

I think the human race has always been pretty fucking abysmal to one another.

Weve always killed one another, tried to destroy each other.

Maybe that is our collective struggle, is to find a way to get there.

Revenge policy; If you hit me, well hit you back worse; ad infinitum.

Great sci-fi, greatTrekis always an allegory for something thats happening to us as a society.

On every level, on every scene, were conscious that were exploring those things.

Sometimes theyre so subtle that you might not notice it, but hopefully youll feel something.

I think were closer than we were in 1966.

But there are always going to be growing pains.

Especially now, theres always stuff thats happening, but you have to have hope.

The fact that were human beings, and were flawed.

But at the end of the day, we have to believe that well eventually make the right choices.