Star Trek: Prodigy is the latest series in the Star Trek franchise to premiere on Paramount+, and it’s notably different from previous shows in a number of ways. For starters, it has Voyager star Kate Mulgrew as a version of her iconic character, Kathryn Janeway. It is also a series geared towards introducing younger audiences to the world of Star Trek. Part of that experience is reintroducing some of the iconic characters of the franchise’s past, but how much of that can viewers expect?
I spoke to Star Trek: Prodigy co-creators Kevin and Dan Hageman ahead of the series’ release, and just on the heels of the news that Voyager’s Robert Beltran would reunite with Kate Mulgrew on the Paramount+ series. I asked the creators if it was a goal to get the entire Voyager cast on the series, and Dan Hageman gave some news that may be a bummer to quite a few fans.
It was never a plan, but I mean, I think when you have Hologram Janeway, that hologram would have a lot of memories about who Chakotay is. I think that’s important to the character. It’s not so much a Voyager tie-in.
Star Trek: Prodigy is not going to be a Voyager successor series, but just as soon as Dan Hageman finished his thought, Kevin Hageman jumped in with some surprising and exciting news that made the first statement easier to get excited about.
I have to say, we have tie-ins to other shows. It’s not just Voyager. We’re not just doing a Voyager spinoff. It’s just, right now, you’re seeing a lot, you’re hearing a lot of Voyager.
So while Star Trek: Prodigy fans may be bummed out that the new series won’t be trying to have a full-scale Voyager reunion, it is exciting to hear that we can expect to see tie-ins to other shows in the Star Trek universe. It would be cool to see characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine in animation, provided that’s what the Hagemans have planned.
Star Trek: Prodigy takes place during the year 2383, which is just a couple of years after the events of the movie Star Trek: Nemesis. This means that Prodigy could check in with a lot of key Star Trek characters in the years following where their shows left off. Typically, age would be a factor in why a project like this would be hard to pull off, but with Prodigy’s animation, age wouldn't have to be a factor.
There is another potential perk to draw Star Trek stars to Prodigy: that Prodigy is not a live-action series. As such, actors don’t have to commit quite as much time for a cameo or guest-starring role as there’s no on-camera work for them to do. Hopefully, that’s a selling point to any stars who the Hagemans wish to pursue, and we get a lot of check-ins with past characters in addition to new stories with the young crew of the Protostar.
Star Trek: Prodigy releases new episodes over at Paramount+ on Thursdays. Be sure to stick around with CinemaBlend after the premiere for more on the series, and get ready for weeks of new Star Trek to chat about online!
