Although Battlestar Galactica will be rebooted once again for a modern audience, actress Katee Sackhoff has not yet been asked back to reprise her old character, Captain Kara “Starbuck” Thrace. Sackhoff played Starbuck on the early 2000’s reboot of the 1970s TV series, and Starbuck became her breakout role that defined the rest of her career playing badass sci-fi characters.
Sackhoff has made headlines recently for her appearance as Bo-Katan in Disney+’s The Mandalorian. The actress had previously voiced Bo-Katan in Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels, but this was her first live-action performance of the beloved Mandalorian character. Given Sackhoff’s current popularity, many fans wondered what her next role might be and whether she might be returning for the upcoming Battlestar Galactica reboot.
In an interview with Variety, Sackhoff explained that she has not yet been asked back to play Captain Starbuck, nor does she think she’ll ever return to the role. As the actress explains, her role as Starbuck was iconic in her early career, but she feels that her outlook on her acting career has changed after almost two decades. However, she also notes that she would be open to playing Starbuck again, but only if the character fits into the new Battlestar Galactica satisfyingly.
“I got the role when I was 21 years old, it’s been 19 years since I was cast as Starbuck. My career has gone in so many different directions since then, I don’t know if I could even go back and play Starbuck at this point. There was a useful angst to her of a woman who was trying to find herself and her place in the world. I was going through that as well as woman in my early twenties. As a fan of the mythology of 'Battlestar Galactica' I’m excited to see what Sam can create. If there’s a role for me in it I would absolutely consider it with open arms because he’s so talented. I’m excited for the fans that that world is going to continue."
Despite Sackhoff’s uncertainty, it is entirely possible that the actress could be asked back for the reboot. Sam Esmail, the new Battlestar Galactica executive producer, has confirmed that the upcoming series will be a continuation of SYFY’s 2000’s series. Past showrunner Ronald D. Moore even consulted with Esmail to guarantee the Peacock series would be telling new stories rather than re-telling old ones. This means that characters like Starbuck could still appear in these new episodes, so long as they have unique stories to tell.
Sackhoff’s desire to play more mature characters makes sense at this point in her career, and her skill as an actress should not be ignored. But considering her widespread popularity in the wake of The Mandalorian, it would make so much sense for Battlestar Galactica to ask her back for the new series. But to bring back Starbuck properly, Esmail and the other show creators will have to develop her character in a new way and bring a more mature Starbuck to the Battlestar Galactica universe.
Source: Variety