Summary

• J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies elevated the importance of Starfleet Academy in the franchise.
• Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series focuses on young cadets, while previous shows only briefly mentioned the institution.
• J.J. Abrams' Star Trek finally realized a canceled TOS movie idea, emphasizing Kirk's journey from youth to leadership.

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies made Starfleet Academy truly important in a way that the franchise had previously failed to do. The prestigious educational establishment will take center stage in the upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series, but the institution had largely been side-lined until J.J. Abrams' 2009 movie. With one or two notable exceptions, Star Trek's regular or recurring characters have long since graduated from Starfleet Academy before their story truly begins.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will be all about the adventures of the young cadets, with serving officers playing minor roles as educators or visiting lecturers. However, the planned Star Trek: Discovery spinoff isn't the first property to depict the trials and tribulations of Starfleet Academy's student body. Over a decade earlier, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek began at Starfleet Academy, focusing on the student days of its most legendary graduates.

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