The heartwrenching reason why J.J. Abrams won’t replace Anton Yelchin’s role in “Star Trek”

Anton Yelchin’s family, friends and co-workers are still mourning his untimely death. The 27-year-old actor died in a freak accident when he was pinned against a brick mailbox by his own car.

Filmmaker J.J. Abrams still thinks the world of Yelchin and has absolutely no intention of replacing him in future adaptations of Star Trek — instead his character will be retired.

“I would say there’s no replacing him,” Abrams told The Toronto Sun. “There’s no recasting. I can’t possibly imagine that, and I think Anton deserves better.”

Yelchin played Pavel Chekov, a Russian starship lieutenant in all three J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboots. He masterfully reinterpreted the original Chekov character, played by Walter Koenig.

As to how Yelchin’s character will be retired after Star Trek Beyond, Abrams says he’s considered killing the character off, but isn’t ready to discuss it. “I have thought about it,” he explained. “We’re working on it, and it’s too early to talk about it.”

Whatever they decide to do, there’s no doubt that Yelchin will be missed by many.

Star Trek Beyond is the third installment of the J.J. Abrams-era of Trek films (he directed the first two). The film opens on July 22.

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