Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Jonathan Archer

The pioneering Captain and crew of the NX-01 were thoroughly underappreciated at the time of first broadcast of Star Trek: Enterprise. Some blamed 'franchise fatigue,' others network scheduling, studio dramas, the temporal cold war, and that theme tune. Enterprise finally found the viewership it deserved in the streaming era, and Captain Archer himself has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance in terms of his in-universe legacy, although we're still waiting for a more literal rebirth.

The re-appreciation of the character on screen began back in the J.J. Abrams' reboot when Scotty admitted to 'losing' "Admiral Archer's prized beagle" in a transwarp beaming experiment. (Surely not Porthos? Surely not?!) Later, in Star Trek: Discovery, Archer appeared on a list of most decorated Starfleet captains. He's also had three starships and a spacedock named after him, and most recently Star Trek: Lower Decks/Strange New Worlds got some crossover love in for Archer and the NX-01.

However, the only time Scott Bakula has reprised the role of Captain Archer — and not in canon — was for the 2006 video game Star Trek: Legacy alongside all the then series' captains. Arguably, he did appear in Star Trek: Online, but all of his dialogue was taken from episodes of Enterprise. Legacy is now very much in the spirit of things, and Scott Bakula is one of those actors who is open to a return to the franchise. Nothing has ever been confirmed, but the rumours continue to abound. Return or no, Archer's time really is finally here!