The new era of Star Trek is loaded with references as well as characters from past shows and, while Paramount+ subscribers see many nods to the original series, The Next Generation, and Voyager, there’s one celebrated series that's often left out. Fans have still yet to seen any huge cameos from cast members of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (outside of an Odo cameo in Prodigy using old footage), but this could change as time goes on. That is, of course, provided the streamer meets the demands of the cast, some of whom revealed what it would take to appear in a new series.
Nana Visitor, Alexander Siddig, and Chase Masterson were on hand at Star Trek: Mission Chicago for the Deep Space Nine panel (which I was able to attend) and were asked if they’d be willing to appear on Picard or any of the many Star Trek shows coming in 2022 and beyond. Visitor kicked things off, stating that reprising Kira Nerys is something she’d love to do, but it all depends on some key factors:
I would love it, but I would want to know that there was some kind of continuity, that it would really matter. I mean, there are some jobs where, they’re jobs, and I go, ‘It’s all right.’ I do [acting] jobs for different reasons. Star Trek is something else, and the relationship with the audience is something else. I really do feel the responsibility. So, unless it was a certain thing, a certain way, certain writers, I would be concerned. Would I want to? Do I want Ira Steven Behr to write one and say, ‘Nana, come back,’? Yes.
I think Nana Visitor's request isn’t uncommon amongst Trek veterans. She doesn’t want to come back to the franchise and play Kira simply for the sake of fans seeing the character on-screen again, she wants it to mean something. It’s reminiscent of Michael Dorn’s response when asked if he’d ever appear on Picard, as the actor previously said such a thing needed to be worth him suiting up to play Worf.
Ultimately, though, Star Trek: Picard seemingly won Michael Dorn over, as evidenced by Worf’s appearance in the upcoming final season of the series. That could mean there’s hope for Deep Space Nine’s Nana Visitor to get a similar offer, though I’m not sure what the odds are of getting showrunner Ira Steven Behr back in the storied sci-fi franchise.
Alexander Siddiq agreed with much of what Nana Visitor said when it came to the idea of reprising his role as Julian Bashir but also added apprehension about a reprisal. Siddiq confessed that if the franchise revisited Bashir now, he’s not sure what it would look like:
I just can’t think of how Bashir, where he exists after Deep Space Nine. I mean, I know he was extremely human, and he’s probably a retired doctor or working for an NGO or maybe just collecting butterflies with Garak.
The final bit got a cheer from the audience, as it referenced the long-held fan belief that Deep Space Nine’s Bashir and Garak were gay. The series never explicitly confirmed anything one way or another but, perhaps in a new Trek series, it could be addressed.
Chase Masterson, who played Leeta, agreed with much of what Nana Visitor said about making sure any actor reprisal had meaning. On top of that, she added that if Leeta returned, she’d like the character to be portrayed in a new light, and maybe one that helps to spotlight issues relevant to society today:
I would want to make sure that Lita– I don’t think they need me anymore to be any kind of thing other than a strong character. And I think if it had to do with social justice, it could work. But anything else, I think we’ve already done that. I think moving along the social justice narrative in terms of Latinum not being the focus on Ferenginar. That, I’d like to do.
The new era of Star Trek only recently featured a Ferengi in Discovery Season 4, but that’s about it. Chase Masterson’s reference does call attention to some potentially problematic issues with past Trek depictions, some of which Leeta could help with.
Fans only got answers from three cast members of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, though it seems like the answer is clear all the same. Perhaps if the franchise can wrangle back Ira Steven Behr (who had an out-there suggestion on DS9’s ending), or find some meaningful roles for these characters we’ll see them again, but certainly not until then.
Luckily, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is available to stream on Paramount+. Fans can continue to relive the crew’s greatest adventures while continuing to wonder if any of those characters find their way back into the franchise.
