Brent Spiner Says A Star Trek: The Next Generation Reboot Is Coming
While Star Trek: The Next Generation doesn't have a planned reboot, actor Brett Spiner thinks eventually we will see one happen.
It’s difficult to imagine other actors taking on the roles of Jean-Luc Picard, Deanna Troi, Worf, Riker, Geordi, or Data. If you’re a fan of Star Trek: The Next Generation you may have never considered the idea a possibility. However, fans of the original series have now seen a film series where Chris Pine took on the role of Captain Kirk so anything is on the table. The Next Generation had more characters, more seasons, and more story to play with. Recently, Brent Spiner, the actor who played Data, says he believes the reboot is coming.
Speaking with SyFy Wire, Brent Spiner talked about the future of Star Trek: The Next Generation and that he believes a reboot is on the way. “I’ve loved the recent movies. I think that sooner or later, they’re going to do a reboot, a motion picture version of Next Generation, and cast some young guys in our parts,” he says.
This is perhaps a more unsettling idea since we’re still seeing many of the original actors playing their parts on Picard on CBS All-Access. Jonathan Frakes is still there as Riker. Captain Picard is still Patrick Stewart. And even Brent Spiner has made an appearance as Data. Unfortunately, that appearance was his last. He’s said that as his character was an android, he has no intention of ever playing him again. An android shouldn’t age and now Brent Spiner is 72 years old. This may have provided him the distance to see that it would seem inevitable that at some point, Star Trek: The Next Generation will get a reboot.
While this isn’t anywhere near the same as getting news of intentions from a studio, it’s interesting to hear that he considers it inevitable. The idea of someone else playing Data isn’t his favorite thing. He is committed to watching a reboot when it happens. But he isn’t a fan of someone else taking on his role. Many fans may also find the idea disconcerting, though the new actors in the original series have gone over quite well.
Like many Star Trek fans, Brent Spiner has been watching his friends on Picard. The end of the recent season saw a major shift for the beloved captain. The rest of this piece will include spoilers for the end of the most recent season. Be so alerted – spoilers next:
In the finale, Jean-Luc Picard had his consciousness shifted to the body of an android. As Spiner spent many years in the role, he had advice for Stewart on taking on the role. He said, “Stewart could try to act smarter because Picard might now have better capabilities than his original organic brain allowed.” This is fun advice. It will be interesting to see how Stewart decides to play the familiar character in the next season.
Brent Spiner has been sharing a lot of Star Trek thoughts and opinions in recent interviews. However, that isn’t what he’s there to talk about. No one can resist the opportunity to ask Spiner’s opinions on Star Trek happenings, and he’s always been ready and willing to share in his life after the show.
However, Brent Spiner has been mostly promoting his new novel. Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir is a book that may be inspired by true events, but follows a fictional version of his life. His main character has the same name and a lot of the same experiences but isn’t him. The novel begins in 1991. There, we find him successfully on The Next Generation. The story is then a dark comedy with adventure, mystery, and a noir bent. If you have seen Spiner on panels over the years or followed him on Twitter, the idea seems to mesh well with what you might expect him to write.
Brent Spiner’s new novel is currently on pre-order and will be published on October 5, 2021. With no plans to return as Data, is interesting to see him have a definitive take on the Star Trek: The Next Generation reboot. And his confidence would have believing it’s happening sooner than later.
