Star Trek: Discovery actor Jason Isaacs is revealing whether he would ever return as Captain Gabriel Lorca. Created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman, the show premiered on Paramount+, previously branded as CBS All Access, back in 2017 and serves as the seventh series in the ever-popular franchise. Beginning in the 23rd century, nearly a decade before the events of Star Trek: The Original Series, Discovery follows a crew on board the titular starship, who, after helping bring an end to the Klingon war and the threat of a rogue artificial intelligence, Control, find themselves in the future, where they must rebuild the United Federation of Planets.
Isaacs starred in the show's first season, playing Gabriel Lorca, who existed in the Mirror Universe and attempted to overthrow Philippa Georgiou and the Terran Empire, for which he was hunted down. After escaping into a parallel dimension, he assumed the identity of his Prime counterpart, eventually becoming the commanding officer of Discovery. Throughout the majority of season 1, audiences watched as Lorca manipulated those around him and used the starship to get back to his universe, ultimately planning to complete his coup and murder the Emperor. However, in what came as a surprise to many, he was caught by Michael Burnham and killed at the hands of Georgiou herself. Though Isaacs expressed the fate of Lorca as being absolute, fans of Star Trek: Discovery have questioned if the character, in any version, might appear again.
Now, in an interview with The List, Isaacs is discussing the possibility of reviving Captain Gabriel Lorca. When asked if he could see himself returning to the Star Trek franchise, the actor said that it comes down to the story presented. He noted that he and executive producer Akiva Goldsman have talked about Prime Lorca, but revealed that there has to be room for his story and that he would not want to come back just because the character is a favorite. Read Isaacs' quote regarding returning to Star Trek below:
"Sure. Yeah. The story would have to be great. It was a fantastic storyline. All actors ever want is a secret, and I had the biggest secret of all, without spoiling it for anyone. If people haven't watched it already, it's unlikely they'll watch it now, but there is nonetheless a fantastic secret, and I had it to play, and I knew it. Iit means that when you watch it, like when you watch "The Sixth Sense" for a second time, there's a whole new layer of enjoyment to be had when you know what things turn out to be.
Prime Lorca is... I'm working with Akiva Goldsman right now, who wrote and directed quite a lot of "[Star Trek]: Discovery," on a Tom Holland mini series, "The Crowded Room" in New York. We've talked about Prime Lorca, and it would have to be as good a story as Season 1 of "Discovery." I don't want to come back just because he's a fan favorite and do some version that isn't anywhere near as good. If there's space, they have so many brilliant series up now. "Strange New Worlds" has been a massive hit as well, and "Picard" is a huge hit, but where and if there's space for a Prime Lorca arc, I'm all up for it. I don't want to come back just to squeeze into that sausage skintight suit."
The inclusion of Prime Lorca has been the biggest theory among fans regarding how Isaacs could return to Star Trek since it was revealed that he was swapped with his Mirror counterpart in season 1. While the character could have been introduced following the events of Discovery's premiere season, Isaacs has not reappeared in the series following that memorable death. With this latest news, in addition to the audience admiration and impressive ratings, it looks like the window of opportunity has not closed yet.
It is not surprising that a character as layered as Gabriel Lorca managed to become a favorite among audiences, and perhaps Isaacs' discussions about him bode well for a potential return. With Star Trek: Discovery season 5 on the way, it will be interesting to see where the show takes its story and if there is room in any other series for Isaacs to make an appearance. It certainly seems like the possibility is there, and fans can look forward to experiencing what else lies ahead as Star Trek: Discovery continues.
Source: The List