With the future of Star Trek in limbo, everyone has their own idea of what they'd like to see from the franchise. Beyond Strange New Worlds Seasons 4 and 5 and Starfleet Academy Season 2, Paramount has yet to greenlight any new Star Trek projects, but there's one that stands out among fans.
Since the ending of Star Trek: Picard Season 3, many fans have been clamoring for a Star Trek: Legacy spin-off. Expanding the storytelling int he 25th-century timeline that Picard Season 3 left open, the series would focus on fan-favorite characters from The Next Generation, Voyager, and Picard, including Seven of Nine in command of the USS Enterprise-G,Jack Crusher, and Raffi Musiker, among others. The concept behind the series would link all of the past Star Trek eras, while also introducing newer characters for the 25th century.
To be clear, Star Trek: Legacy has not been officially announced and is not in production. Still, fans continue to campaign for it, and the enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed. Several studio executives have acknowledged it. Star Trek producer Alex Kurtzman has said he has heard the calls for Legacy "loud and clear," while Picard Season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas has expressed interest in the concept.
Some former Star Trek actors have shown support for the idea, but The Next Generation’s Marina Sirtis has been less optimistic. Appearing at a panel during Star Trek: The Cruise alongside fellow co-stars Jonathan Frakes, John de Lancie, and Denise Crosby, Sirtis, who played Deanna Troi, offered a blunt assessment of the series’ chances.
“Legacy is never going to happen,” Sirtis said. “You know, you hate hearing the truth. There is not a single studio in America that is going to make a series where most of the leading actors are over 70 years old. I’m sorry, but that’s just the truth. It’s just Hollywood.”
While there is likely some truth to what Sirtis says, Paramount+ has proven that shows with older actors can succeed. Some of the streamer’s top-performing scripted series feature veteran stars, many of them from producer Taylor Sheridan. For example, Landman stars 70-year-old Billy Bob Thornton, while the Yellowstone prequel 1923 featured Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren at 80 and 77 years old, respectively. Based on the success of these shows, it's clear that viewers do not automatically dismiss a series based on an actor’s age, especially when the show is well-written and entertaining.
It’s also worth noting that Star Trek: Legacy wouldn’t feature only actors in their 70s. Jeri Ryan, who would reprise Captain Seven of Nine, is still in her 50s, while other main cast members like Ashlei Sharpe Chestnut (Sydney LaForge) and Ed Speleers (Jack Crusher) are in their 30s. A franchise like Star Trek is known for breaking boundaries, and if any series could successfully center a story around older characters, it’s this one. With longtime fans who often skew older, the show would be tapping directly into nostalgia.
Would you be interested in a Star Trek: Legacy series?