Summary
Now thatStar Trek: Starfleet Academyhas revealed its regular cast of returning characters, it’s interesting to ponder if otherStar Treklegacy actors could cameo in the upcoming series. Due to start filming later in 2024,Starfleet Academywill tell the story of the legendary institution’s first intake of students in over a century.Starfleet Academy’s castcombines Hollywood stars like Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti with up-and-coming actors and stars from bothStar Trek: DiscoveryandStar Trek: Voyager.
Whilethe involvement ofStar Trek: Discoverycharacters like Lieutenant Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) was a foregone conclusion, the addition of Robert Picardo asStar Trek: Voyager’s holographic Doctor was a big surprise. As a Hologram, the USS Voyager’s EMH can surely live forever - as long as he’s backed up - so it’s maybe not wholly surprising that he’s still aiding Starfleet after 800 years. However, the fact that the 32nd century’s Starfleet Academy hasVoyager’s Doctor on-staff surely opens the door for not just otherDiscoverycharacters to cameo in the upcoming series, but olderStar Treklegacy characters, too.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Reaction Video Welcomes New Cadet Actors & Debuts New Logo
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy begins filming soon. Meet the young actors as they find out they’re the next generation of Starfleet Cadets.
Will We See More Non-Discovery Legacy Characters In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy?
It seems highly likely that Sonequa Martin-Green or Doug Jones could make guest appearances as Captain Burnham and Admiral Saru inStar Trek: Starfleet Academy, but what about characters from other shows?Star Trek: Discovery’s spinoff series will be set 800 years afterthe late 24th/early 25th century timeline in which shows likeStar Trek: ProdigyandStar Trek: Lower Deckstake place. This makes it highly unlikely that former Starfleet Academy staff like Chief O’Brien (Colm Meaney) orNova Squadron designer Lieutenant Tom Paris(Robert Duncan McNeill) could appear in the new show in flesh and blood form.
Although not appearing on-screen, Tawny Newsome, who voices Lieutenant Beckett Mariner inStar Trek: Lower Decksis one of the writers onStar Trek: Starfleet Academy.
It’s also likely thatStar Trek: Starfleet Academywill want to establish its young cast and new characters before resorting to nostalgic cameos. The primary focus ofStarfleet Academywill, rightly, be on its young cast, meaning that showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau will be keen not to overshadow them with nostalgic throwbacks.However, ifStarfleet Academyperforms well when it streams on Paramount+ in either 2025 or 2026, thoughts may turn to who else could join Robert Picardo’s Doctor as a 24th century Starfleet representative. Especially asStar Trek: ProdigyandStar Trek: Discoveryhave set up how legacy characters can return.
How Star Trek Legacy Characters Like Voyager’s Doctor Could Appear In Starfleet Academy
Holographic technology is very advanced in the 32nd century.
IfStar Trek: Voyager’s Doctorcan live forever, then the same is surely true for Hologram Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) fromStar Trek: Prodigy. Therefore, Picardo’s casting inStar Trek: Starfleet Academycould set up a live-action appearance by Kate Mulgrew in later seasons. On top of that, hologram technology in the 32nd century appears to be incredibly advanced, asStar Trek: Discoveryseason 5 saw Doctor Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) testing a holographic replica of his abuela that was almost indistinguishable from the real thing, potentially setting up legacy characters as holographic tutors.
…whileStar Trek: Enterprise’s controversial finale isn’t a great example of anything, it does introduce the idea that characters can interact with holographic recreations of historic Starfleet missions.
Star Trek: Picardalso allowed Data (Brent Spiner) and Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) to transfer their consciousness into synthetic bodies. As long as the brain is still in functioning condition,it’s surely theoretically possible for people to live forever in theStar Trekuniverse using Soong’s Golems. Finally, whileStar Trek: Enterprise’s controversial finale isn’t a great example of anything, it does introduce the idea that characters can interact with holographic recreations of historic Starfleet missions. Despite the 800 year problem, it appears that there are endless possibilities for blending the old with the new inStar Trek: Starfleet Academy, setting up a truly unique show.
