Robert Picardo is returning to Star Trek by way of the upcoming Starfleet Academy amid the 2026 TV schedule, and the excitement from fans has been palpable. Many are hyped to see Picardo's EMH (or "The Doctor") back in action, especially the Voyager character is largely considered one of the best Trek characters of all time. And, based on Picardo's perspective, his fan-favorite character, who's holographic appearance is somewhat different this time around, may now be the "Yoda" of the franchise.
Picardo's become the torchbearer in the new adventure, given that he's the most experienced Trek actor on the Starfleet Academy set. He spoke to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend ahead of the series debut in January (at which point, Paramount+ subscription holders can tune in). During the chat, Picard was asked if he had second thoughts about returning to the franchise, and he mentioned his character's look while responding to the question:
Well, you always do, because Voyager is a well-loved iteration of Star Trek. There’s a question of how the fans will accept me as a character who, in theory, never changes, even though the actor playing their beloved hologram is 30 years older, a little heavier, a little shorter.
SFX clarified that in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, the EMH introduced a subroutine that allowed him to age. It's good to have that little detail explaining why he looks older, though. After seeing how easily Q changed his appearance in Picard Season 2, I figured it wouldn't be too hard for the writers to figure out.
As for how any of this relates to Yoda, Robert Picardo talked about the decisions that went into his reprisal of the EMH, who will be an instructor at the re-established Starfleet Academy in the 32nd century. With age comes wisdom, and nearly 1000 years later, he's accumulated a lot of knowledge:
I decided that the character was a deeper version of himself, but he still had the same humour, the same disdain for people he felt were not keeping up with the discussion, but also the deeper aspect of generations of life experience. I suppose I’m the Yoda of the Star Trek franchise – except I’m not green and hopefully my ears are not quite as big.
Appreciate that joke, Master Yoda, would. But, in all seriousness, that sounds like a great way to view the EMH heading into Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. After all, he has centuries of Starfleet data stored in his memory banks, as evidenced by the Voyager episode in which a copy of the hologram was stored in a museum in the distant future.
I could easily imagine Robert Picardo serving as Yoda both on camera and behind the scenes as a fresh cast of young actors learned the ropes of being in a Star Trek show. I'm hopeful that, in time, this new cast will eventually form a tight bond off camera, one that's reminiscent of the close connection that the cast of The Next Generation era has.
As for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy as a whole, the series takes place in the 32nd century, in the years following the resolution of "The Burn" referenced in Season 3 of Discovery. The show will feature cadets learning what it's like to be in Starfleet and also inform the audience about how beloved species have changed over the course of 1000 years. Fans didn't get a ton of information on the 32nd Century in Discovery, so I'm looking forward to the latter point about species.
Get hype for the premiere of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy , which debuts on Paramount+ on January 15th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll see if Robert Picardo's EMH lives up to the Yoda hype he's describing, and if this series becomes the latest hit for the long-running sci-fi franchise.
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