Voyager fans, rejoice! Kate Mulgrew is returning as Captain Kathryn Janeway in upcoming animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. Mulgrew played the role, the first female lead in the franchise’s history, across Voyager‘s seven year run from 1995-2001 but has not portrayed the fan favorite character in nearly two decades. Following Patrick Stewart’s big comeback in Star Trek: Picard, though, there’s been some buzz that maybe Mulgrew would follow suit and now we know it’s actually happening.
This exciting news was revealed during the Star Trek universe panel at New York Comic-Con today. Prodigy was announced at this summer’s virtual San Diego Comic-Con and we know that the CG-animated series follows a bunch of “lawless” teens who take off in an abandoned starship in search of adventure. We don’t yet know exactly how Janeway – who will be a central figure – fits into things, but maybe we can infer that the kids’ activities will draw the attention of Starfleet?
What we do know is that Prodigy will “pull a Picard” with Janeway and go deeper into the character than was allowed on Voyager. In fact, Mulgrew teased that she can’t wait to explore every nuance of the role in the show, saying:
“I have invested every scintilla of my being in Captain Janeway, and I can’t wait to endow her with nuance that I never did before in Star Trek: Prodigy. How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds an idea that has elevated the world for decades. To be at the helm again is going to be deeply gratifying in a new way for me.”
EP Alex Kurtzman, meanwhile, promised in a statement that Janeway will inspire the “next generation” of Trek fans.
“Captain Janeway was held to a different standard than her predecessors. She was asked to embody an inhuman level of perfection in order to be accepted as ‘good enough’ by the doubters, but showed them all what it means to be truly outstanding. We can think of no better captain to inspire the next generation of dreamers on Nickelodeon, than she.”
And finally, Ramsey Naito, President of Nickelodeon Animation, had this to say:
“Kate’s portrayal of Captain Janeway is truly iconic, and has resonated with a global audience for many years. We can’t wait to see her bring this character to life in a whole new way, while continuing to be an inspiration for both new and loyal fans.”
This is the first time the Orange is the New Black star has featured in the modern era of Trek, but Voyager‘s Jeri Ryan reprised Seven of Nine in Picard season 1 and will continue to do so in season 2.
Star Trek: Prodigy – which, as you can tell from these statements, is aimed at a younger audience, though with an eye on older fans, too – is due to air on Nickelodeon sometime in 2021.
