Star Trek 4 is reportedly casting two new principal female roles, one of which will be the main villain. For some time, there were questions about whether this film would actually happen or not. Despite positive reviews from critics and audiences, 2016's Star Trek Beyond came up short at the box office, earning just $343.4 million worldwide against a production budget of $185 million. The franchise's cast members are all game to reprise their roles, but due to Beyond's commercial performance, there were no guarantees another installment would be green lit.

Fortunately, it looks like Paramount is forging ahead with Star Trek 4. They recently recruited S.J. Clarkson to helm the film, making her the first female director in the franchise. There was even more exciting news just yesterday, when The Walking Dead and Black Panther star Danai Gurira was said to be in talks for a role. Now, we might know more details about her part.

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According to That Hashtag Show, Clarkson is in the process of casting two female roles, specifically looking at actresses in the age range of 45-60. One of these will be the film's primary villain, while the other is a new hero who presumably will team up with the Enterprise crew on their latest adventure. It's certainly plausible Gurira (who admittedly is outside the aforementioned age range) will land one of these parts should she officially sign on.

Captain Kirk looks concerned in Star Trek Beyond

THS also notes that Clarkson is targeting A-list names for the roles. Gurira definitely fits that description, as she has been a part of pop culture staples like The Walking Dead and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She also signed on to appear in Godzilla vs. Kong. If Star Trek 4 gets a big star for the antagonist, it'll be something of a continuation for a series trope. Previously, the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch and Idris Elba terrorized Captain Kirk and friends, so it'll be interesting to see who Clarkson is able to get. Interestingly enough, she believed Tilda Swinton would have been a great choice for the villain, but Swinton will not be in the movie.

Paramount has yet to make any official announcements about Star Trek 4, though Zachary Quinto has teased some reveals are coming soon. The studio is set to have a presence at next week's San Diego Comic-Con, though their centerpiece there will be Bumblebee, and there's no word on Trek. Perhaps Paramount is waiting until after Comic-Con (perhaps the Star Trek convention at Las Vegas) to confirm their plans for the next entry in the Kelvin Timeline. Regardless of when any revelations are made, fans can take solace in the fact that Star Trek 4 looks to be moving forward.

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Source: That Hashtag Show