Star Trek: Patrick Stewart May Return In New Series

Screen Rant

Star Trek: Patrick Stewart May Return In Alex Kurtzman's New Series

By Robin Burks

Published Jun 19, 2018

CBS strikes a new deal with Star Trek: Discovery showrunner Alex Kurtzman that could include a new series with Patrick Stewart.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard, as played by Patrick Stewart, may appear in a new Star Trek series, thanks to a deal struck between CBS Television Studios and Alex Kurtzman. "Make it so," are words that every Star Trek fan knows by heart as one of the key catch phrases of Captain Picard from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although fans can currently only hear that phrase in reruns, that may not always be the case.

Kurtzman took over as sole showrunner of CBS' Star Trek: Discovery after the network fired its previous showrunners. He was one of the writers and producers of Star Trek Into Darkness and The Mummy, as well as a producer of Now You See Me, Now You See Me 2, Enders Game and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. In addition to Star Trek: Discovery, his television credits include Alias, Fringe, Sleepy Hollow and Scorpion. He often collaborates with other heavy hitters in the industry, such as J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Adam Horowitz.

Now, Kurtzman becomes a heavy hitter himself. According to THR, Kurzman recently renewed his deal with CBS that included a five-year extension to continue working with the Star Trek franchise. The deal, which is worth an estimated $5 million per year, will also give Kurtzman some freedom to create new properties within the franchise, including a new series, a miniseries and other related content. One possibility is a series that will bring back Stewart to reprise his role as Captain Picard. THR reports its sources suggest Kurtzman is already attached to that project.

Star Trek Discovery Michael Burnham Starfleet

This comes after Stewart teased he might return to Star Trek as Captain Picard. Although most believed this meant he might appear on Star Trek: Discovery, it makes no sense that he would return as Captain Picard because the series takes place at a point in Star Trek history well before the birth of The Next Generation character. Perhaps what Stewart was really alluding to had something to do with the talks that he would return to the captain's chair aboard the Enterprise in his own series.

In spite of complaints about the Star Trek movies, Star Trek: Discovery seems to have really resonated with Trek fans, and it has helped create a new thirst for more TV shows. But one of the brilliant things about Discovery is that it tells a new story within the universe. So, it remains to be seen if fans will really want the nostalgia that comes with returning to the time of Captain Picard's reign on the Enterprise.