See Scarlett Johansson As Star Trek’s First Deltan Captain
We use A.I. to turn Scarlett Johansson into Star Trek's first Deltan Captain.
She’s no stranger to science fiction, but regardless Scarlett Johansson has yet to make an appearance in the Star Trek franchise. Here at GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT we decided to do our best to rectify that, by using artificial intelligence to create an image of the Lost in Translation star as one of the bald Deltans. In the image below, you can see the A.I.’s concept of the very first Deltan Starfleet captain.
If after seeing an image of Scarlett Johansson as a Deltan doesn’t at least ring a bell regarding the species, you’ve likely never seen 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture. In Trek’s first jump to the big screen, the late Persis Khambatta plays Ilia, a Deltan Starfleet officer. Her people are known to inspire powerful feelings of sexual attraction in those around them, whether they wish to or not, and because of this, Deltans who join Starfleet take vows of celibacy.
Just as Khambatta, a Miss India winner, was in 1979, Scarlett Johansson would certainly be a good candidate to make viewers believe she inspired feelings of desire in those around her. With her work in films like the Marvel movies, she’s also shown the range to play the kind of person with the authority to captain her own starship. We wouldn’t necessarily hold our breath on this particular casting, but we could certainly see it work.
The Deltans have appeared sporadically and been mentioned here and there in Star Trek, as noted by Memory Alpha, but they’ve never again appeared as prominently as in Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Among what little is known about them, there is the fact that they have the ability to use tactile contact to soothe pain. Ilia uses the ability on Chekov (Walter Koenig) in the film.
While as far as we know Scarlett Johansson doesn’t have her sights set on any of the big spacefaring franchises like Star Trek or Star Wars, one of her next projects is nevertheless tackling the subject of space travel. Known alternatively as either Project Artemis or just Artemis, the upcoming Apple TV+ science fiction film has something to do with the space race, though few details beyond that have emerged. The film will be directed by long-time Arrowverse head honcho Greg Berlanti, and along with Johansson will star Channing Tatum (Magic Mike’s Last Dance), Ray Romano (Everybody Loves Raymond), and Jim Rash (Community).
Another big project Scarlett Johansson is involved in is likewise star-related, though not in the same way. She’s set to appear as part of a massive ensemble cast in Wes Anderson’s dramedy Asteroid City, which is set in the middle of a stargazing convention. The long list of Johansson’s co-stars includes Tom Hanks, Adrien Brody, Tilda Swinton, Margot Robbie, Bryan Cranston, Matt Dillon, Maya Hawke, Edward Norton, and many more.
