Co-writer and star Simon Pegg offered a little more detail, saying that the movie picks up two years into the Enterprise's five-year mission of exploration, and sees the crew feeling the effects of such a long journey into the unknown.

"They've come to rest at a Federation outpost, a sort of diplomatic hub," he explained, adding that the questions driving the crew during the movie are "We're gathering a great community within the galaxy, but to what end? What does it all mean?"

But don't worry about the movie being just two hours of existential ennui; while Chris Pine's James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto's Spock and Karl Urban's McCoy are questioning their purpose quietly, new bad guy Krall (Idris Elba) will be doing so with a lot more force. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Elba described the character as one who has a "hatred — in my opinion, a well-earned hatred — for the Federation," and is "predatory" in achieving his goals.

Star Trek Beyond boldly goes into theaters July 22.