Star Trek: Discovery Star Welcomes Patrick Stewart Back To The Franchise

Star Trek legend Patrick Stewart is returning to the franchise after 16 years to lead his own TV series for CBS All Access as Jean-Luc Picard. That was the news which nearly broke the internet the other day and had both fans and previous and current stars of the franchise ecstatic.

Among many others, William Shatner – forever known as the original Captain of the Enterprise, Picard’s predecessor, Captain James Tiberius Kirk – shared a nice message of congratulations on Twitter and now, Sonequa Martin-Green, who leads the excellent Star Trek: Discovery, has done the same.

Taking to the social media platform, the actress wrote:

This man. How I’ve looked to him over the years for creative education, inspiration and guidance. Absolutely THRILLED that he’s returning to the fold. We stand on your shoulders…

While it’s unlikely that Martin-Green’s Michael Burnham will ever cross paths with Picard, some fans are hopeful that now that Stewart’s returning to the franchise, CBS might be able to convince Shatner to put in an appearance, too.

Shatner, of course, led the ensemble cast in Star Trek: The Original Series, which ran from 1966-69, before going on to appear in the accompanying movie series until 1994’s Star Trek: Generations. This was actually a crossover with the crew of The Next Generation and specifically, it paired Kirk with Patrick Stewart’s Picard. This was the only time the two actors appeared on screen together but, as the most famous custodians of the franchise, they clearly know each other well.

Of course, fans will remember that Shatner’s character actually died in the aforementioned Generations, but death is always flexible in the Star Trek world. In fact, the actor’s even revealed that J.J. Abrams offered him a role in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond, but it never ended up materializing.

Who knows, though, maybe there’s a place for Kirk in Stewart’s new show? While no scripts have been written as yet, it seems certain that it’ll act as a follow-up to TNG, as the actor’s hinted that Picard will no longer be captain of the Enterprise in the series. It’s probably just wishful thinking, but bringing Kirk aboard would make this new show a true celebration of the breadth of Star Trek.

In the words of Picard, make it so, CBS.