As Number One on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Rebecca Romijn is reaching for the stars. Romijn debuted as Number One in Star Trek: Discovery season 2. She took over the role originated by Majel Barrett in the 1960s' rejected Star Trek pilot, "The Cage." The cool and cerebral Number One was the original First Officer of the Starship Enterprise, which Romijn now gets to portray and fully develop alongside Anson Mount as Captain Christopher Pike and Ethan Peck as Lt. Spock on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Screen Rant interviewed Rebecca Romijn about Number One's real name, a secret that she's carrying in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and whether she would be willing to reprise her iconic X-Men role of Mystique in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Related: Strange New Worlds: When Did Star Trek's "The Cage" & Discovery Happen?

Screen Rant: Let's talk about Number One. Her real name is Una Chin-Riley, which we never knew for 56 years. Do you know who coined the name and why is it important that Number One has a real name, as opposed to just "Number One?"

Rebecca Romijn: Well, Number One is what every First Officer is referred to. In military speak, Number One is second-in-command. First Officer is Number One. She is a person. She is a character. We didn't know who she was in the original rejected pilot of Star Trek, we only saw her for 12 or 14 minutes of screen time. And we only saw her performing the task at hand, so we didn't know her name. We didn't know anything about her character, and we're finally getting to develop her as a character.

Now she's got a name: Una Chin-Riley. It's just been really fun to flesh her out. The writers came up with a great development for her, which they floated to me pretty early on when they were developing the series. And I thought it was an incredible layer to work into the character. That layer is really gonna get explored throughout the series. We're well into season 2 [now], and we get to keep on exploring that aspect of her.

I've seen the first five episodes, which I thought were fantastic.

Rebecca Romijn: Oh great! We're so happy to finally introduce it. It's like the longest pregnancy. It's like a 3-year pregnancy. It's like we're finally delivering the baby.

56 years, actually.

Rebecca Romijn: Yeah, exactly! If you're going from pilot to finally, the series.

Strange New Worlds Number One

Virtually everything we learn about Number One, as you said, is going to be new information. Is there something you're particularly excited for everybody to find out?

Rebecca Romijn: I would say it's 'the secret,' which of course, I can't get into. I'm not allowed to. But I would say it's 'the secret,' because there's a lot of shame. No one loves Starfleet more than Una. No one loves the stars more than Una. And she knows that, with this secret, she is breaking a pretty major rule. But there's a lot of shame there, because she's defying the organization she loves the most.

But the secret that she's harboring, she's not ashamed of. She's proud of it. It just doesn't fly with Starfleet. Literally.

You and your husband, Jerry O'Connell, are both Starfleet First Officers. [He plays Commander Jack Ransom on Star Trek: Lower Decks.] Is there competition between you two? Who's the better First Officer?

Rebecca Romijn: Well, there's no competition, because we all know [the Enterprise is better], come on! I remind him all the time that, because he's on the animated show, he doesn't get to actually wear the Starfleet uniform.

But he did! In Star Trek: Mission Chicago. He did.

Rebecca Romijn: (laughs) In Chicago! That was their first time. That cast's first time wearing the uniforms.

Of course, you were the first and best Mystique in the X-Men movies. Would you be open to reprising Mystique in the MCU?

Rebecca Romijn: Sure! Absolutely! I don't know if they'd want me still, but I loved playing that character. I loved that cast so much. It was an incredible experience. Yeah, I'd be open to that. Absolutely.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Synopsis

The cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1.

The series follows Captain Christopher Pike and the crew of the starship USS Enterprise as they explore new worlds throughout the galaxy during the decade before Star Trek: The Original Series.

Don't forget to check out our interviews with stars Anson MountEthan Peck and the new bridge crew as well.

Next: Strange New Worlds Retcons The Enterprise's Star Trek Role

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds premieres Thursday, May 5, on Paramount+.