Kate Mulgrew: Janeway's Star Trek Return Is "Being Pursued"

It has been quite the week for Star Trek in the year supposedly without a lot of Star Trek. First Kirk, then Khan, now Janeway? Speaking at 'An Evening With…' on Friday aboard the Star Trek: The Cruise VIII, Kate Mulgrew responded to a fan question about a possible live-action return for Janeway:

"There is a conversation happening. It is being pursued."

There is also something in the air at the moment, and it's not just the ocean breeze hitting the cruise ship. William Shatner is apparently being pitched a comeback to Trek practically as you read this. In January last year, Patrick Stewart announced that there was a Star Trek: Picard movie project somewhere in the works. We also know Jeri Ryan turned down a Captain Seven of Nine spin-off post-Picard. Now, Mulgrew is talking time back in front of the camera as her iconic Captain/Admiral.

All that either implies a lot of separate scripts, a slew of standalone adventures, or the parts of a larger whole — perhaps even the Star Trek: Legacy we've all been waiting for. The question might be — who's next? This year is also the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Voyager. Most of the main cast were aboard ship to celebrate, in fact. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, however. Or ahead of Mulgrew.

According to TrekCulture's own Seán Ferrick, who was on the boat and in the room, Mulgrew expressed concerns that a Janeway live-action project might fall short of fan expectations. Mulgrew was also keen to avoid a 'vanity piece' — to return for the sake of returning. If a Janeway series would help to give hope, she would absolutely look to return, Mulgrew concluded.

"Hope is never a foolish thing," that other Janeway series told us recently. Before even setting sail, Mulgrew had already noted in 'Captain's Chat with Kate Mulgrew' for Star Trek: The Cruise that, "I'd like Prodigy to be optioned for a third season, so let's fly those planes".

Coffee-cup-half-full is also season three of Star Trek: Prodigy still sitting on a desk somewhere at Netflix, not cancelled, but not green-lit either, Mulgrew reportedly went on to add during the ''Evening With…' Moreover, just how would and could a Janeway live-action series connect to Prodigy, particularly if that series now belongs to Netflix?

Star Trek: Picard skipped about 20 years from 2379. The hypothetical Star Trek: Janeway could do the same. Star Trek: Nemesis was Janeway's last live-action appearance, after all. That would leave the rest of the 2380s for Prodigy. Admiral Janeway nearly appeared in Picard. Producers had wanted her, in any case. She instead had to be content with a few name-drops. Janeway's legacy could be the dawn of the 25th, or a good part of that century. This is Star Trek. Most things are possible.

Finally, if the world needs to need Janeway for Mulgrew to consider a return, we'd say we already do… we always have. Now more than ever, we need someone who stands up to bullies. We need a new series that asks, 'What would Janeway do?'