Star Trek Chickened Out on Its Most Controversial Twist (Which Launched Its Own Sci-Fi Film Series 40 Years Later)

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While the original Star Trek captivated audiences with its exciting science fiction stories, it’s the show’s hopeful vision of the future that has truly made it enduring. Creator Gene Roddenberry wanted to inspire progress towards a more equal society, and some of the show’s most daring episodes – those that challenged societal norms – became its most celebrated installments.

Even though Star Trek was known for pushing boundaries – and sometimes included ideas that haven’t aged well – it was surprisingly difficult to actually get truly shocking or controversial stories on television. Gene Roddenberry and his writers often came up with plots designed to provoke strong reactions, but network executives usually preferred to play it safe. A good example is the episode featuring the immortal ‘Man from Earth,’ which ended up being much tamer than the original, more provocative version that was proposed.

Captain Kirk Was Originally Going To Meet Jesus in The Original Star Trek

A surprising plot point for Star Trek was originally planned for the third season in an episode called “Requiem for Methuselah,” written by Jerome Bixby. The story begins with Captain Kirk and Spock traveling to a desolate planet to find a cure for the Rigelian Fever, which is affecting the crew of the Enterprise. They soon discover the planet isn’t deserted – a single, enigmatic human lives there.

The episode introduces a man who calls himself “Flint,” but it’s soon revealed he’s far from ordinary. He’s an immortal being who has been alive since around 4000 BC. Kirk discovers this man lived throughout history as famous figures – not just artists and thinkers like Socrates and Rembrandt, but also religious leaders like Moses and Jesus. This shocking revelation surprises even Kirk himself.

According to Marc Cushman and Susan Osborn’s book, “These Are The Voyages: TOS Season 3,” Joan Pearce at de Forest Research flagged the religious aspects of the first draft. While the idea of the character Flint having been Pablo Picasso (who was still living) raised possible legal issues, Pearce also cautioned that altering well-known biblical figures could upset viewers and cause a negative reaction.

After reading Kirk’s line – comparing Flint to historical and religious figures like Galileo, Moses, Socrates, and Jesus – Pearce cautioned that the comparison could offend viewers with strong religious beliefs and suggested removing or reordering the phrase. NBC’s broadcast standards department went further, requesting the line be either clarified or completely cut, and it was ultimately removed from later versions of the script. However, Bixby continued to explore the idea, even though it didn’t make it into the final Star Trek episode.

The Deleted Star Trek Story Became Its Own 100% RT Movie

Though a reworked version of the episode finally aired in 1969, actor William Bixby never let go of the original ideas. Almost 30 years later, he developed a completely new screenplay inspired by the same concept. This screenplay, which featured an immortal man who had lived for over 14,000 years, became Bixby’s final project. Due to failing health, he dictated the script to his son, Emerson Bixby, who was also a screenwriter.

The idea developed into the 2007 film The Man From Earth, directed by Richard Schenkman and starring David Lee Smith (known from Star Trek: Voyager) as the main character. The story begins as John Oldman, a university professor, reveals a shocking secret to his colleagues: he’s 14,000 years old, has lived many lives as famous figures throughout history, and claims to be the original Jesus Christ. This revelation sparks long and intense discussions about the implications for art, philosophy, and religion.

Despite having a limited budget and relying on word-of-mouth marketing, the film quickly gained an audience thanks to its unique and unexpected story. It currently holds a perfect 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, proving that the original idea – which was initially just a small part of a Star Trek episode – truly flourished when given the space to fully develop and exceed expectations.

A follow-up film, The Man From Earth: Holocene, came out in 2017 and added another familiar face from Star Trek: Michael Dorn, who joined Richard Smith, John Billingsley, and Tony Todd from the original movie. Even though the story was considered too risky for the Star Trek world, the impressive cast highlights how difficult it is to suppress truly innovative ideas within the franchise.

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2026-02-22 17:40