Why Star Trek's Rebecca Romijn Finds Trekkies Less Scary Than Marvel Fans

Fandoms can be terrifying, especially if you're an actor. Not only do you have to try and please whatever general audiences are watching your movies or shows, but you also have to take into consideration the reactions of the hardcore fans. Collective fandoms of various genre properties have always been intense, but they have gotten even more so in the age of the internet, where social media allows fans from all over the world to communicate in rapid fashion. There are negative aspects of every fandom, from the toxic side of "Star Wars" to chuckleheads who don't realize they are the butt of the joke in "The Boys," but it turns out that some fandoms are a little scarier than others, depending on who you ask. 

Rebecca Romijn, who has starred in all kinds of genre fare, spoke with Entertainment Weekly about her various roles in big franchises, and she shared that she was a bit more intimidated by Marvel fans when she played Mystique in the "X-Men" movies than she has ever been by "Star Trek" fans. (She plays Lieutenant Commander Una Chin-Riley on "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.") It's hard to imagine Romijn being intimidated by anybody given the characters she plays, but apparently comic book fans can unnerve even Mystique herself. 

While talking with her "Strange New Worlds" co-star Ethan Peck and the Entertainment Weekly folks at San Diego Comic Con, Romijn explained that she found working in the Marvel world "kind of intimidating" and "really intense," because "you want to please everybody." When Peck asked her about the differences between the fandoms, she elaborated, saying: 

"It was scarier with the Marvel fandom than with the Trekkies. The 'Trek' fandom feels — they call it 'Trek' family — very supportive and a loving environment as opposed to scary."

She did go on to say that it's "been amazing to be part of both of those franchises." She's also a part of the DC Universe, having voiced Lois Lane in quite a few animated DC TV shows, so she knows a thing or two about passionate fanbases. It honestly makes sense that the "Star Trek" fandom would be a little less aggressive than the comic book fandoms, though, because "Star Trek" is all about striving for a utopia for all.

While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, like fans who love to claim "Star Trek" has "gone woke" despite having had progressive ideals from day one, for the most part "Star Trek" fans seem to embody those very ideals. Trying to uphold their own version of the Prime Directive and be forces for good in the real world, Trekkies (or "Trekkers," depending on who you ask) tend to be a little less antagonistic toward the franchise's stars than fans of Marvel, DC, or "Star Wars."

In "Star Trek," the characters are almost always working together toward a common goal, and Roddenberry even wanted to avoid interpersonal conflict completely, which is a pretty far cry from the in-fighting that happens in other franchises. There's really no direct "Star Trek" equivalent of "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" or "Captain America: Civil War," and maybe that's helped unite the Trekkies a little bit more. Regardless of the cause, Romijn feels more comfortable with her "'Trek' family," which means we'll hopefully see her in the franchise for years to come.