10 Amazing Behind The Scenes Secrets Of Star Trek: Voyager

Well get into the whole Maquis situation in a little bit, but their integral part to both Voyager's pilot episode and the makeup of the cast as a whole meant that ideas were floated to have The Next Generation's Ro Laren involved at some point. Her defection to the group in the show's penultimate episode specifically written to potentially set this up.

Originally - as long-term TrekCulture readers will be aware - she was slated to star as a Sisko's First Officer in Deep Space Nine, only for Michelle Forbes's reluctance over being a series regular rather than a recurring character to nix those plans. Kira Nerys thus being written in her place.

During Voyager's pre-production though, the idea of having her as one of the Maquis renegades being pursued by Janeway and crew was floated, with her either being killed shortly after arriving in the Delta Quadrant, or whisked away from the ship to reappear in random episodes. Whether she wasn't interested or the plan was just scrapped has never been revealed.

Likewise, in an attempt to bring over some star-power from elsewhere in the franchise, Michael Dorn's Worf was also considered as a member of the crew, until the actor himself turned the part down.

However, the most incredible nearly-acquisition from elsewhere in the franchise goes to Deep Space Nine's Nana Visitor who, upon hearing that Geneviève Bujold had been sacked from the part, accosted Rick Berman in the street and pitched for the part. "I can do both! Why not!? Why can't I?" she told him, before getting a polite pat on the head and a definitive "no".