Marvel Zombies hit Disney+ on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 and Wednesday, September 24, 2025, despite arriving on the streaming platform. There are some theories as to why this is, but that’s not the point of this article. Instead, we’re here to celebrate the crossovers of two franchises that we’ve loved for a long time: Marvel and Star Trek.
Photo credit: Marvel
We learn in Episode 1 of Marvel Zombies that Riri Williams, aka Ironheart, voiced by Dominque Thorne, has been working on a decked-out, zombie-safe vehicle appropriately named the “USS Uhura,” named after Starfleet communications officer and arguably the most historically significant character in the Star Trek franchise, Nyota Uhura, played by Nichelle Nichols in Star Trek: The The Original Series and Star Trek: Anime Series and Seria are Star Trek’s Rose Gooding: Strange New World. If you look closely at the vehicle designed by Iron Heart, you will see that not only is it named after Uhura, but its design is influenced by the Starry Officer’s classic red and black uniforms, but there is no visual reference to Uhura’s iconic green earrings.
Kamala Khan/MS as the hero takes Uhura on her maiden’s voyage to save the world. Voiced by Iman Verani, Marvel said, “USS Uhura Maiden Voyage, Baby! Engagement, Number One.” Once again, create a Star Trek reference. The line Marvel said that Iron Heart will start the vehicle to begin the Warp Speed used in Star Trek refers to references to the next generation of Captain Genre Look Picard (Ir Patrick Stewart) and William Riker (Jonathan Flakes), who the Captain calls “No. 1.”
USS Uhura. Photo credit: Marvel
Namening a vehicle after Uhura isn’t just about impacting Star Trek and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It also refers to the Uhura effect. This refers to how the characters influenced young black and indigenous women to pursue a career in STEM. As she spoke to a group of Duke University students in 2013, it is well known that the character influenced Dr. May C. Jemison, the first black woman in space, to pursue a career in STEM. Some of these STEM FOLXs were recruited directly to Sallyride, the first American woman in the universe, Guy Bulford Jr. and Ronald McNair, the first and second black men in the universe, Ellison Onizka, the first Asian American in the universe, and former NASA director Charles Bolden, who was recruited directly to decision makers for Nichols Highs Aportic Ageur in the Cal Agent A Cal Agent A.D. Apollo 11.
The full impact of the Uhura effect is currently being studied by researchers at universities in northeastern Illinois. How does he see “Self-identified Bewak (black and indigenous women of color) and Star Trek experiences: original broadcasts and STEM education and caregiving tracking of the 1960s and 1970s.” The project seeks to build on the findings of the well-known Scully Effects Report by exploring how Star Trek’s original execution and syndication influenced Black and Indigenous women of color in their decision to pursue a career in STEM.
For more information about Nichols’ own Uhura effect, please see the video below.
Star Trek has previously been referenced in Marvel Studios and Iron Heart in the Disney+ Original series, creating a great continuity for the Lili Williams character. The 2025 series made multiple mentions of Star Trek over its first season. The first reference took place in episode 2, “The Real Natalie Gets Up.” The second reference happened in episode 4, “Bad Magic,” when RIRI responded to another character’s Star Wars reference, saying, “I thought it was a trekki for life.” In that episode, when Riri is compared to Spock, she replies that she always saw herself like Uhura.
While all of these aren’t references to Iron Heart’s Star Trek (e.g., there’s another great Star Trek: Karn reference rage in episode 5), both show the effect the franchise has on the character’s decision to enter stems.
Here’s all the coverage of Star Trek on Beat.
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