Spoilers Sela and the implications of Chabon's notes about the Romulans

[Mr. Laser Beam]

the suspension of disbelief required in the 2009 Kelvin movie where old Spock recognizes Chris Pine and Simon Pegg as looking exactly like the Kirk and Scotty he knew, despite the audience being fully aware that they don't look identical.

Recasting happens all the time. I don't see why this is any different.

 

[Boris Skrbic]

But there is no viewing requirement to lump it all together and ignore all (re)casting if you can find fun in-universe ways of explaining it, otherwise we wouldn’t have regeneration on Doctor Who. You leave it be out of necessity, if the alternative would be so ridiculous as to stretch fictional reality to the breaking point.

Yes, Spock immediately recognizes Kirk and Scotty, but he may already have been prepared to accept that they would physically look different even if he could “sense their personalities” (perhaps with the aid of telepathy) having known them so well. Is Chekov Kelvin supposed to look exactly like Koenig’s at seventeen, despite the fact that Chekov Prime is four years younger for some mysterious reason? Is Greenwood’s Pike supposed to look like Hunter’s, but with premature aging in that universe? I wouldn’t be so sure.

I can’t think of anything for Noonian Soong’s ancestors and descendants, but Sela could’ve been altered to look like Tasha just to distract Picard and his crew. There is no pressing reason to insist on it, of course, but the possibility does present itself.

 

[fireproof78]

Is Chekov Kelvin supposed to look exactly like Koenig at seventeen, despite the fact that Chekov Prime is four years younger for some mysterious reason? Is Greenwood’s Pike supposed to look like Hunter’s, but with premature aging in that universe?

Yes.

 

[Yistaan]

Is Chekov Kelvin supposed to look exactly like Koenig at seventeen, despite the fact that Chekov Prime is four years younger for some mysterious reason? Is Greenwood’s Pike supposed to look like Hunter’s, but with premature aging in that universe? I wouldn’t be so sure.

While we can assume Pike, Kirk, Spock, McCoy and Scotty look exactly the same in-universe between Kelvin and Prime, I don't think the same can be said for Chekov, Sulu and Uhura, who seem to be born after the 2233 timeline divergence. Also, Spock only outright recognizes Scotty and Kirk, 2 people established to be born pre-2233. Nothing is said about Chekov, Sulu, or Uhura by Spock Prime.

Thus it may very well be these 3 are genetically different characters with the same parents. Another indication is Sulu's sexual orientation in the Kelvin timeline defined as gay, whereas Sulu was seen admiring Ilia in TMP and getting a magical girlfriend in TAS in the Prime Timeline.

 

[flandry84]

Buddy,you are capable of suspending belief about humanoid aliens,ray-guns,spaceships and matter teleportation but not about one actors resemblance to another....har de har!

 

[fireproof78]

We all have that line...