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The Main Difference Between Star Trek and Star Wars, According to Actor Simon Pegg


At first glance, Star Trek and Star Wars may look the same, but ask any passionate fan and you get a slew of reasons why the two major "Star" franchises are different from each other.

Well, this fan sentiment is echoed by Simon Pegg, the actor who plays Starfleet engineer Scotty in the upcoming Star Trek Beyond.

In an interview with Collider, the 46-year-old English actor explained in detail what makes Star Trek and Star Wars totally different from each other, despite their settings, spaceships, aliens, etc. Pegg explained that science fiction is to Star Trek as science fantasy is to Star Wars.

As the actor told Collider:

...I think it's interesting when you look at the originalStar Trek, because it is about an idealistic young farm boy who goes off to fight in outer space.
There are similar beats in it. It's no secret that J.J. was always more of a Star Wars fan. I think you just try to create a hybrid. You know,Star Warsis science fantasy, andStar Trekis science fiction, and they're two different things.

In his explanation, Pegg also explained how the two franchises' settings play a role in identifying their uniqueness from each other. While Star Trek is rooted in the present, Star Wars is deeply rooted in the past.

The actor said:

I think what you have to maintain withStar Trekis that it's rooted somewhere in our reality and our universe and in humanity.Star Warsis a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.

As for what makes Star Trek more science fantasy, Pegg explained:

The thing that makes thatStar Trekkind of more science fantasy is that it does get — you know, there's a lot of special effects and fighting.Star Trekcould never really afford that in a way, which is why it had to concentrate on other aspects of production. We can do both now.
So I think it's kind of finding a way of having that really fun, spectacular event cinema but grounding it in kind of a — because explosions don't mean a damn thing if you don't care about who's involved in the explosions. You can see the most incredible fireworks on a cinema screen, but if you don't fundamentally care about the people who are in jeopardy, then they're so unimpressive. You see it time and time again these days.

I'm not one to compare Star Trek and Star Wars. While the two have started showing a similar tone because of Abrams helming both universes, I still think they're unique in their own way. No franchise is better than the other and both are definitely enjoyable to watch.

Star Trek Beyond will be directed by Justin Lin (Fast and Furious) and will star Chris Pine, John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Sofia Boutella, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin in the Enterprise crew, with Idris Elba joining as the eponymous "predatory" villain Krall.

Star Trek Beyond hits theaters on July 22.

Read: Star Trek Filmmakers and Actors Gather in Star Trek Beyond Fan Event Footage

Read: Star Trek Beyond: Full Details on San Diego Comic-Con Premiere and New Poster

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