Any Star Trek: The Next Generation fan would be hard-pressed to forget actress Whoopi Goldberg in her role as Guinan, but Goldberg almost replaced another popular TNG character before the character of Guinan was created for her. Star Trek: The Next Generation was the second series in the Star Trek franchise and the last series that creator Gene Roddenberry worked on before his death. The show ran from 1987 to 1994, with Goldberg joining the cast in the second season right after the sudden departure of actress Gates McFadden, who played the character of Doctor Beverly Crusher.

TNG fans will undoubtedly remember Crusher's absence in the second season as well as her replacement, Doctor Katherine Pulaski, played by Diana Muldaur. McFadden's initial departure from the show was due to some personal issues with head writer Maurice Hurley. Hurley left his position as head writer at the end of season 2, however, and executive producer Rick Berman reached out to McFadden to ask her to return. McFadden eventually agreed and played Beverly Crusher for the remaining five seasons of TNG's run.

Related: Star Trek: Why Dr. Crusher Left TNG In Season 2 (& Why She Came Back)

What may not be known, however, is that the role of Chief Medical Officer was almost taken over by Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg was a great fan of the show and had been an avid watcher of Star Trek: The Original Series. Before the beginning of TNG season 2, Goldberg reached out to Gene Roddenberry and Rick Berman to ask if she could take over the vacated ship's doctor role. Berman and Rodenberry were keen to get Goldberg on the series but didn't think her becoming CMO was quite the right fit. However, TNG had been given the opportunity to add more sets in season 2, and the producers were in the process of developing the set that would become Ten Forward, which needed a bartender. Roddenberry and Berman felt that Goldberg would work much better in the bartender role, and once they had fully fleshed out the character of Guinan, Goldberg agreed to the part.

Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan on Star Trek: The Next Generation

It is certainly interesting to imagine what Star Trek: The Next Generation might have looked like if Goldberg had ended up taking over the role of ship's doctor. It is possible that fans would never have seen the return of Beverly Crusher, which would have been a loss for the show as Doctor Crusher is regarded as a fan-favorite character even to this day. Of course, Guinan is also considered a fan-favorite, and it is just as hard to imagine TNG without her or Ten Forward. Rick Berman spoke about Goldberg's casting as Guinan in an extensive interview with the Television Academy Foundation in 2006 and described Guinan as a "Yoda-like" character who he thought was a terrific addition to the cast.

Indeed, Guinan's wise demeanor and mysterious backstory not only made her an excellent bartender but also generated a number of engaging storylines involving her. The classic two-part episode "Time's Arrow" and the film Star Trek: Generations are excellent examples of this; both are made better by Guinan's significant role in them and both are part of what made her such a beloved character among Star Trek fans. Additionally, Goldberg's tenure in the Star Trek franchise may be getting a new chapter soon, as she is all but confirmed to return as Guinan for Star Trek: Picard season 2. While it is interesting to imagine what Star Trek: The Next Generation might have looked like if Goldberg had been cast in the role of the ship's doctor, Rick Berman and Gene Roddenberry ultimately did the right thing by creating Guinan for her instead.

More: Star Trek Picard: How Guinan Could Appear In Season 2