Star Trek's modern era marked Kate Mulgrew's return to the franchise by way of animated series Prodigy, and her run on the show has been quite impressive. While many are still singing the praises of the series' latest season and encouraging fellow fans to watch it with a Netflix subscription, others are looking ahead to upcoming Trek shows. On top of that, they may be wondering if Mulgrew might reprise her role of Captain Kathryn Janeway in a live-action production. CinemaBlend asked the actress for her thoughts on that possibility and received a rather blunt response. Not only that, but the actress also revealed the big question she feels she'd need to ask if Prodigy isn't renewed for another season.
At San Diego Comic-Con, I had the honor of speaking to Mulgrew, Brett Gray and the Hageman brothers (who are producers) in support of Star Trek: Prodigy. During the conversation, I mentioned that a few years ago, there had been chatter about Mulgrew playing Janeway in live action again. It was after that that I asked if such a reprisal might still become a reality. Much to my surprise, the actress didn't seem too bullish, and she shared some requests that she would have if such an opportunity came her way:
You know, this thing is always going around and around and around, because fans, I think, would very much like to see her reinvoked. But I talked to these [Prodigy] guys last night at dinner about this. One has to be very careful that the situation is not hubristic. That does not interest me at all. Because, for the lack of a better word -- and I loathe this word -- the legacy is already in place. I was the first female Captain. I gave it everything I had for seven years, and it changed my life dramatically. To come back, it would have to be spectacularly good. And I don’t know if that’s possible.
In short, Kate Mulgrew is not interested in returning to play Janeway in live-action simply to appease the fans. She's already accomplished everything she wanted with the character in that space and, if Star Trek producers want her back in that medium, they're going to have to bring her a script that is so spectacular that she can't resist returning. In short, it has to be good enough that it leaves a measurable impact on the legacy of her character, which I can totally understand.
I think it's fair to say that Prodigy has impacted the star's legacy and positively so. I even went as far as to call Season 2 the best serialized season in the franchise's history. Others have shared that sentiment, and Kate Mulgrew is one of its biggest proponents of Netflix renewing the series for Season 3. The actress shared with CinemaBlend just how she'd feel if it does end up getting canceled again after Paramount+ originally axed it. It also sounds like she'd have a big question for the latest stream to house the show should a cancellation come to pass:
I’d be really dashed if it weren’t picked up, you know that? A part of me would really question, what are they picking up? What do they herald as great if not this animated series? Because it is unquestionably superior.
As unquestionably dominant as streaming is in the entertainment space, it's hard to get a definitive read on the exact criteria that Netflix and other platforms look to when deciding if a show will be renewed. We can probably surmise that viewership is a big factor, which is why the Prodigy creators urged fans to tune in and encourage a friend to do so as well. Streaming is a business, after all and, as acclaimed as a series may be, there needs to be enough viewership to justify production. But, given so much uncertainty about the specifics of streaming renewals, I can understand why the Orange Is the New Black alum would ask that question if her show is canned again.
Given Kate Mulgrew's latest comments, fans may want to consider that Star Trek: Prodigy could very well end up being the last time they get to experience her performance as Janeway in any form. The burden will be on Alex Kurtzman and other creatives working on it to try and spin up a story worthy of her return to the live-action realm, though it sounds like she'd sooner just be doing more Prodigy. Perhaps she'd join the legacy cast of Starfleet Academy as a hologram? I'd be down for that, but would also greatly appreciate more of the aforementioned animated show.
Star Trek: Prodigy Seasons 1 and 2 are available to stream right now on Netflix. If you're a fan of the franchise, you'll really want to check it out, even if you're wary of animation or the fact that it's a show that was originally geared toward children.
