Omari Hardwick Joins the Trekkie Universe in ‘Star Trek: Section 31’

Michelle Yeoh and Omari Hardwick star in Star Trek: Section 31, the franchise's first TV movie, streaming now on Paramount+.
Omar Hardwick - Star Trek Section 31

The Star Trek franchise is set to boldly go where it hasn’t gone before with its streaming movie Star Trek: Section 31. Premiering on Paramount+ today, Star Trek: Section 31 is the first “TV movie” of the franchise.

The latest iteration of the Galaxy-set universe stars Michelle Yeoh and Omari Hardwick.

Star Trek: Section 31 explores the covert world of Starfleet’s most secretive organization. The film follows Philippa Georgiou (Yeoh), a former Terran Emperor now seeking redemption as a key agent within Section 31, Starfleet’s clandestine intelligence division. Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets from threats that operate beyond the reach of diplomacy, Georgiou must navigate a dangerous web of espionage, betrayal, and sacrifice.

Joining her is Alok Sahar (Hardwick), a brilliant but enigmatic strategist with a past as shrouded in mystery as the missions they undertake. Together, they face an imminent intergalactic crisis that could destabilize the fragile peace between rival factions. As tensions rise and allegiances are tested, the team must confront the question: how far are they willing to go to protect the galaxy, and at what cost?

“You don’t have to have watched any prior Star Trek to be able to not only watch and follow this but to enjoy it,” Hardwick said on the Sheri Shepard Show.

Originally conceived as a spinoff of Star Trek: Discovery, Section 31 faced years of development delays before being reimagined as a standalone movie.

Hardwick credited the producers and director Olatunde Osunsanmi for recognizing his “Ghost” fan base and inviting them into the Star Trek universe. “I do believe they were knocking and going, your fan base, all those people who adore you, we want them to come over to this movie,” he shares. “We want them to come over to this world.”

Hardwick spoke passionately about the importance of representation and following in the footsteps of Star Trek pioneers like Avery Brooks (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine), LeVar Burton (Star Trek: The Next Generation), and Nichelle Nichols (Star Trek: The Original Series).

“What was so humbling was, from the moment you and I saw Avery Brooks, to LeVar Burton, to Nichols being the first interracial kiss, and she played that character, there’s this moment where you go, man, I really now am on the circuit,” he shares. “I get to go to these Comic Cons, and I get to bring home a bag, not of cash, but of fanship, that I never would have thought that in my life of starting this career, I never would have seen myself in something like this.”

Hardwick isn’t only being celebrated for his work on screen; he is also being recognized for his other artistic talents. He recently earned his first Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for cOncrete & wHiskey Act II Part 1: A Bourbon 30 Series.

Stream Star Trek: Section 31 on Paramount+ today.

Photo Credit: Paramount Plus