Star Trek: Voyagerstar Kate Mulgrew will return to the role of Captain Kathryn Janeway inStar Trek: Prodigy, the upcoming animated series in the works at Nickelodeon. Reportedly, the news was announced by CBS Studios on Thursday during New York Comic-Con’s Star Trek Universe virtual panel, and Mulgrew also spoke about her reprisal of the fan favorite role.
“I have invested every scintilla of my being inCaptain Janeway, and I can’t wait to endow her with nuance that I never did before inStar Trek: Prodigy. How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds an idea that has elevated the world for decades. To be at the helm again is going to be deeply gratifying in a new way for me,” Mulgrew said.
“Captain Janeway was held to a different standard than her predecessors,” added executive producer Alex Kurtzman. “She was asked to embody an inhuman level of perfection in order to be accepted as ‘good enough’ by the doubters, but showed them all what it means to be truly outstanding. We can think of no better captain to inspire the next generation of dreamers on Nickelodeon, than she.”
Ramsey Naito, President of Nickelodeon Animation, also said, “Kate’s portrayal of Captain Janeway is truly iconic, and has resonated with a global audience for many years. We can’t wait to see her bring this character to life in a whole new way, while continuing to be an inspiration for both new and loyal fans.”
Developed for younger sci-fi fans who may be new to the franchise,Star Trek: Prodigywascreated for Nickelodeonby Kevin and Dan Hageman. The pair also serve as showrunners, with Ben Hibon directing. Kurtzman and the Hagemans are exec producing alongside Heather Kadin, Katie Krentz, Trevor Roth, and Rod Roddenberry.
Unlike previous animatedStar Trekshows,Prodigywill be using CG-animation to make it more visually appealing for today’s Nickelodeon fans. As of now, not much has been revealed about the plot of the animated series. A logline suggests the series will follow a group of “lawless” teenagers who use an abandoned starship to search for adventure. How the former captain ofStar Trek: Voyagerwill play into the story remains to be explained, but more details are likely forthcoming with additional casting announcements expected to be made soon.
This will be the first timeKate Mulgrewwill have played Janeway in aStar Trektelevision series sinceVoyagerended in 2001. She had a cameo in theTNG-based movieStar Trek: Nemesisin 2002 and voiced the role in the 2006 video game,Star Trek: Legacy. In more recent years, Mulgrew played inmate Red Reznikov on the acclaimed Netflix seriesOrange Is the New Blackfor the show’s entire six-season run. She also appeared onMr. Mercedesand has lent her voice to animated series likeTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,American Dad, andStretch Armstrong and the Flex Fighters.
Star Trek: Prodigyis expected to premiere on Nickelodeon sometime in 2021. Meanwhile, the live-actionStar TrekshowsPicardandDiscoveryare streaming on CBS All Access. This news comes to us fromComicBook.com.
