A lot has changed for Michelle Yeoh since she first stepped into the Star Trek universe as Captain Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek: Discovery seven years ago. Already an established star, her Academy Award win for Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) propelled her to even greater heights. Now, after captivating audiences in the film adaptation of Wicked, she returns to Starfleet in Star Trek: Section 31, reprising her role as the enigmatic Georgiou.
“Star Trek is and will always be part of me,” Yeoh shares, revealing that she has long wanted to revisit this character and further explore her journey. In Discovery, she played both the noble Federation Captain Georgiou and her ruthless mirror-universe counterpart, Empress Georgiou. The latter, power-hungry and cunning, found herself stranded in the Prime Universe, where she slowly evolved into a reluctant Federation ally, ultimately joining the covert organization Section 31.
For Yeoh, playing a complex antihero was irresistible. “I guess with Philippa Georgiou I can do all the things I’ve always wanted to do but can’t really do in real life,” she says, laughing. At the same time, she wanted to ensure that Georgiou remained layered and human, not just a caricature of villainy. Beneath the hardened exterior, she carries deep emotional scars and leads an isolated existence.
In Star Trek: Section 31, Georgiou takes command of a team on a high-stakes mission to secure a dangerous secret weapon. Along the way, she must confront her past in unexpected ways. Unlike the episodic nature of traditional Star Trek, this feature-length film, directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, leans into high-octane action, evoking a style reminiscent of a Jason Statham thriller. Fans will still find familiar nods to Star Trek lore—watch out for a reference to Captain Rachel Garrett.
Yeoh, known for her fearless action sequences in Police Story 3: Supercop and Tomorrow Never Dies, embraced the chance to showcase Georgiou’s combat prowess. “Philippa Georgiou is a walking weapon,” she says. “Her nails, her choker… you never know where the attack will come from.”
Initially conceived as a series running alongside Discovery, Section 31 evolved into a stand-alone film. However, Yeoh hints that this may not be the end for her character. “Whenever you do something so special, you hope it will have more life,” she teases. With her return to Star Trek, fans can only hope for more missions from the formidable Philippa Georgiou.
READ MORE: