Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3 has a problem with its USS Enterprise doctor, but we think this casting might solve it. TheStar Trek: The Original Seriesprequel takes place aboard Captain Christopher Pike’s (Anson Mount) USS Enterprise. Some of the manylegacyStar Trekcharacters inStrange New Worldsare Enterprise crew members we’ve loved since theTOSdays, like Mr. Spock (Ethan Peck) and Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding). Others, like Pike and Number One (Rebecca Romijn), were deep cuts fromStar Trek’s first pilot, “The Cage”, before appearing inStar Trek: Discovery.
Another formerly obscureTOScharacter isStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' current Chief Medical Officer is Dr. Joseph M’Benga, played by Babs Olusanmokun inSNWand Booker Bradshaw in two episodes ofStar Trek: The Original Series. The addition ofMartin Quinn as Lieutenant Montgomery ScottinStrange New Worldsseason 2’s finale, “Hegemony”, makesStrange New Worldsone step closer to assembling the full complement ofStar Trek: The Original Seriescharacters. That means Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley) can’t be far behind, but McCoy probably won’t be Dr. M’Benga’s replacement—not right away, anyway.
There’s A Doctor On The Starship Enterprise Between M’Benga & Bones McCoy
Dr. Mark Piper Is The Problem Blocking The Straight Line From M’Benga To Bones
BetweenStar Trek: Strange New Worlds' Dr. M’Benga andStar Trek: The Original Series' Dr. McCoy, thedoctor on the Starship Enterprisewas Dr. Mark Piper (Paul Fix).Piper only appeared inStar Trek’s second pilot, “Where No Man Has Gone Before,“produced after NBC requested a massive retooling of “The Cage”. Like McCoy, Piper was described as an old country doctor, butStar Trekcreator Gene Roddenberry didn’t like Fix’s performance. Roddenberry had wanted DeForest Kelley to play the Enterprise’s doctor from the start and finally got his wish when Kelley joined the cast as Bones McCoy.
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DeForest Kelley
Star Trek: The Original Series& related films
As a series about Captain Pike’s Enterprise,Star Trek: Strange New Worldsis built on revisitingStar Trek: The Original Series’earliest concepts, soit would make sense for Dr. Mark Piper to be inStrange New Worldsseason 3. We already know that Dr. M’Benga will survive being kidnapped by the Gorn at theend ofStrange New Worldsseason 2, but there’s no telling what shape M’Benga will be in. Dr. Mark Piper being brought aboard the USS Enterprise as M’Benga’s replacement CMO would be the kind of nod toStar Trekhistory thatStrange New Worldsloves to make.
Could Rhys Darby Play Dr. Mark Piper In Strange New Worlds Season 3?
Darby Could Be Dr. Piper As A Temporary Enterprise Doctor Before McCoy
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3 castingOur Flag Means Death’s Rhys Darby as Dr. Mark Piper could solve the USS Enterprise’s imminent doctor problem. After it was announced at New York Comic Con 2024 that Rhys Darby would be guest starring as a “familiar but different” legacyStar Trekcharacter, we started speculatingwho Rhys Darby could be inStrange New Worldsseason 3. Dr. Mark Piper wasn’t among those characters, butthe resemblance between Darby andStar Trek: The Original Series' Piper actor, Paul Fix, makes Piper a strong possibilityfor Darby’s role.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 - Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 ended with an epic cliffhanger and here’s everything known about when it will be resolved in season 3.
Even if Rhys Darby winds up playing Dr. Mark Piper, the possibility of a newDr. McCoy inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3 isn’t necessarily eliminated. With Paul Fix’s single episode ofStar Trek: The Original Series, Dr. Piper wasn’t the Enterprise’s CMO for very long. Piper’s USS Enterprise posting inTOScould have been a temporary assignment while the crew waited for Bones to arrive as a more permanent replacement. That may also be the case if Dr. Mark Piper comes aboardStar Trek: Strange New Worldsto be the Enterprise’s doctor between M’Benga and McCoy.
