Ed Speleers joins the cast of Star Trek: Picard season 3, but who is he playing, and where have audiences seen the British actor before? The final trailer for Star Trek: Picard season 3 revealed Speleers as one of two new characters joining Patrick Stewart and the reunited cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the other being Todd Stashwick, who plays Liam Shaw, the Captain of the USS Titan-A. But Speleers' character and how he fits into Star Trek: Picard season 3 are huge mysteries.
Star Trek: Picard season 3 sees Admiral Jean-Luc Picard reassemble his former crew of the USS Enterprise-D and E to meet a grave new threat: Captain Vadic (Amanda Plummer). The Picard season 3 final trailer warns of a possible attack on Starfleet, and it shows that plenty of phaser fights, space battles, and explosions await the TNG cast on their final adventure. With Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd) from Picard seasons 1 and 2 also back, Star Trek: Picard season 3 is poised to be a grand adventure of epic scope, and a fitting farewell to the legends of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Who Is Ed Speleers' New Picard Season 3 Character?
Ed Speleers' unknown role looks to be a wildcard in Star Trek: Picard season 3. There are only two glimpses of Speleers in the Star Trek: Picard season 3 final trailer: a close-up shot of Speleers looking sinister accompanied by Deanna Troi's (Marina Sirtis) voiceover that she senses "a darkness... an all-consuming darkness." This hints that Speleers' mystery man could be a new villain in league with Captain Vadic. Later in the Picard season 3 trailer, Speleers asks a pivotal question of Jean-Luc: ""Is anybody you know still the person you knew?" This alarmingly hints that someone close to Picard, perhaps a member of the TNG crew, may betray him. After all, Dr. Beverly Crusher also warns Picard to "trust no one."
Speleers' enigmatic character looks like he will be a disruptor to Admiral Picard and his crew, perhaps sent by Captain Vadic to upend the TNG legends' reunion. As for who Speleers could be playing, he seems to be a character created for Star Trek: Picard season 3, and there's no indication from the trailer if he could have ties to any of the TNG characters. The fact that Speleers is British seems to link him to Admiral Picard, but Jean-Luc has no known offspring. It's possible Speleers is a heretofore unknown member of the Picard family, like Renée Picard (Penelope Mitchell), from Star Trek: Picard season 2.
What Movies & TV Shows Ed Speleers Has Starred In
Ed Speleers is a familiar face to different types of audiences, from fantasy to period costume drama. Speleers' breakthrough role was in the title role as Eragon in the 2006 dragon fantasy film. One of his most widely-seen roles was as James "Jimmy" Kent, one of the footmen in Downton Abbey. Speleers was a memorable part of Downton Abbey season 3-5; as Jimmy, Speleers played the handsome but rude young footman who became the fascination of Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier). Speleers also starred as Edward Seymour in Wolf's Hall, and he is also extremely well-regarded as Stephen Bonnet in Outlander. Speleers also joins the cast of You season 4 on Netflix.
The 34-year-old Ed Speleers is a tremendous actor of great range, and he's an excellent addition to the cast of Star Trek: Picard. Speleers certainly has the talent to go head-to-head with Patrick Stewart as well as the other icons from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Ed Speleers instantly becomes one of the biggest mysteries in Star Trek: Picard season 3, and it will be fascinating to discover what role he will ultimately play in the TNG legends' final mission to save the galaxy.
Star Trek: Picard Season 3 premieres Thursday, February 16, on Paramount+.