Starting with JJ Abrams Star Trek (2009), Anton Yelchin played Ensign Pavel Chekov in three Star Trek films before his tragic and untimely death in 2016. Following James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) from the alternate Kelvin timeline, JJ Abrams’ Star Trek films reinvigorated the Star Trek film franchise, introducing the series to countless new fans. Star Trek: Enterprise ended with a whimper four years earlier and there was no Star Trek feature film from the lackluster Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002.
Star Trek (2009) introduced updated versions of classic characters from Star Trek: The Original Series, including young Russian Starfleet officer Pavel Chekov. Originally played by Walter Koenig, Chekov was the youngest of the USS Enterprise bridge crew and was often defined by his love for his Russian heritage. All over Terms of Service and his subsequent films, Chekov became a jack-of-all-trades, working in navigation, engineering, and security, among other odd jobs. In Star Trek (2009), Yelchin’s Chekov joined the crew of the Enterprise as a cadet at the age of seventeen, when he was assigned as the ship’s navigator.
Anton Yelchin played Chekov in JJ Abrams’ Star Trek films
JJ Abrams’ Star Trek Chekov is a prodigy with exceptional mathematical ability
As navigator of the starship Enterprise, Chekov helped defeat Nero (Eric Bana), the Romulan time traveler seeking revenge on the United Federation of Planets for the destruction of Romulus. In Star Trek in the Darkthe Enterprise faces the notorious tyrant Khan Noonien-Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch), who reveals a conspiracy by Starfleet and Section 31. Chekov briefly holds the position of chief engineer when Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg) temporarily resigns. At the time of Star Trek Beyond, Chekov returned to being the Enterprise’s navigator when the ship was destroyed, leaving Chekov and the rest of the crew on Altamid.
Life and career of Anton Yelchin
The actor impressed almost every time he appeared on screen
Born in the Soviet Union, Anton Yelchin’s family moved to the United States when he was just six months old. Yelchin made his film debut in 2000 A man is mostly water, before appearing in several films and television shows, including Along Came a Spider, Hearts in Atlantis, The Practice, and NYPD Blue. He has led independent films such as Charlie Bartlett and shined in Alpha Doghelping him out.
Yelchin starred alongside Christian Bale and Sam Worthington in 2009 Terminator Salvation, and continued to have a busy career, often receiving rave reviews for her performances. He starred as Odd Thomas in the adaptation of Dean Koontz’s novel of the same name and also starred alongside Patrick Stewart in the independent horror film The Green Room.
Anton Yelchin’s Tragic 2016 Death Explained
Yelchin died in a tragic accident on June 19, 2016.
When Anton Yelchin missed a rehearsal on June 18, 2016, his friends were worried and went to check on him at his home. He was found around 1 a.m. on June 19, trapped between his Jeep and a brick pillar outside his home in a freak accident. Just 27 years old, Yelchin was pronounced dead at the scene. Star Trek Beyond was released about a month after Yelchin’s death and was dedicated to him and Leonard Nimoy, who passed away in May 2015.
This was not the only film dedicated to the actor after his death. Furthermore, Star Trek: Discovery season 3 introduced a Federation starship called the USS Yelchin (NCC-4774-E), and a new ship called the Yelchin was mentioned in Discovery season 4. Star Trek found countless ways to keep Anton Yelchin’s memory alive, and he was and always will be an important member of Star Trek family.
Other Anton Yelchin films released after his death
His posthumous career remains impressive
Several other films and television shows featuring Anton Yelchin were released after the actor’s death, and a some of them were actually dedicated to him. Together with Star Trek In addition, Harbor was released the same year as Yelchin’s untimely death. The film centers on a romance set in a Portuguese city and received a solid reception. In 2017, a trio of films featuring Yelchin arrived Thoroughbredwhere he played a drug dealer, Memoryand We don’t belong here. All of these films were dedicated to Yelchin’s memory.
In addition to these films, the entirety of Guillermo del Toro Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia was dedicated to Yelchin. He voiced the role of the show’s protagonist, James Lake, for 41 episodes before Emile Hirsch, Yelchin’s co-star in Alpha Dogtook on the role. In 2017, Smurfs: Lost Village was also dedicated to him, despite not featuring the actor. That’s because Yelchin voiced Clumsy Smurf in previous episodes and the filmmakers wanted to honor his memory.
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JJ Abrams’ 2009 film Star Trek rebooted the iconic sci-fi franchise in an entirely new timeline. When a Romulan ship travels back in time and alters the past, the lives of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the future crew of the USS Enterprise change drastically. In this new timeline, the Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) sets out to seek revenge against Spock, triggering a chain of events that reshape the entire universe.
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May 8, 2009
- Writers
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Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Gene Roddenberry
- Execution time
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127 minutes
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Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 film directed by JJ Abrams and starring John Cho, Alice Eve and Benedict Cumberbatch. Part of the Star Trek franchise, this sequel sees Captain Kirk relieved of his duties as commander of the USS Enterprise.
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May 16, 2013
- Writers
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Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof
- Execution time
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132 minutes
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In Star Trek Films’ Kelvin timeline, Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Spock and the rest of the crew of the USS Enterprise return to fight a new enemy that puts everything they and the Federation stand for to the ultimate test. This third installment of the rebooted Star Trek films marked the 50th anniversary of the classic sci-fi franchise.
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July 22, 2016
- Execution time
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122 minutes