The final time Trekkies noticed Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) in live-action was through a video name to Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) in 2002’s “Star Trek: Nemesis.” In animation, nevertheless, we have been spoiled with the quantity of Janeway in recent times. In “Star Trek: Prodigy,” a holographic model of Janeway, additionally performed by Mulgrew, served as an ersatz mom determine for the present’s teenage protagonists. The true-world Janeway additionally ultimately grew to become concerned within the motion, and she or he too was impressed with Dal (Brett Gray), Gwyn (Ella Purnell), and the remainder of the Protostar teenagers, to the purpose the place she helps them apply to Starfleet Academy. Within the present’s second and remaining season, Janeway even lead a quest to rescue her previous first officer, Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran), and introduced the “Prodigy” youngsters alongside.
Whereas there are presently no plans to carry Janeway again to “Star Trek” after the tip of “Prodigy,” Mulgrew, 69, mentioned that she continues to be open to the thought. In any case, ever since 2017, Paramount has been launching new “Star Trek” exhibits on the common, with a lot of them reviving long-moribund characters for brand new adventures. There was a sequence known as “Star Trek: Picard” dedicated to Picard, whereas “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” recast a number of characters not seen for the reason that unique “Star Trek” TV sequence in 1966. As such, there’s not a lot — apart from cash — stopping Paramount from asking Mulgrew to step in entrance of the cameras once more as Admiral Janeway.
In a 2022 interview with TrekMovie, Mulgrew laid out a number of mandates she would require to simply accept the function, nevertheless. It appears she would not need to come again as a supporting participant. It will should be for a legitimately grand, outsize journey, even larger than what Janeway has gone by earlier than.
Solely ‘extraordinary’ adventures for Janeway
Mulgrew, it appears, had already talked with Alex Kurtzman, the top honcho over at “Star Trek,” about the opportunity of returning in live-action. On the very least, she was capable of talk her mandates clearly. It appears that evidently Mulgrew needed Janeway to stay clear-headed and resolute. Janeway, Mulgrew felt, should not need to battle by any petty private angst. She needs to be able to take command, and joyful to take action.
Additionally, Mulgrew needed a big story. It could not be small and private and calm. It needed to be much more spectacular than her elongated quest from the Delta Quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant (as dramatized in seven seasons of “Star Trek: Voyager”). And it needed to have a very good script. As Mulgrew put it:
“I mentioned this to Kurtzman. The writing goes to need to be completely beautiful and as tight — I imply so tight. I would like that language to simply burst! And I would like the story to be so tenuous and taut. I mentioned, ‘No languishing.’ I do not need peaks and valleys. I need a Janeway that everyone can say, ‘That is what she’s change into. I am along with her! That is nice!’ Proper? And I feel some form of extraordinary journey. Even better than ‘Voyager.’ Even better than the Delta Quadrant.”
Whether or not or not Kurtzman has been brainstorming concepts for Mulgrew stays unknown. As of this writing, the sequence “Starfleet Academy” is within the works, whereas “Star Trek: Unusual New Worlds” is the one ongoing “Star Trek” TV present and not using a recognized expiration date. There have not been any bulletins a few present that may happen in Janeway’s timeline, nor any stories that she is going to seem on every other “Star Trek” sequence (seemingly through time-travel).
It appears that evidently, in the meanwhile, the grand journey must wait. But when Kurtzman modifications his thoughts, he ought to keep in mind that Mulgrew is standing by.