When a franchise becomes culturally influential to its audience, it is natural to expect its projects to last a long time. What usually drives projects to continue progressing is the cast of characters that fans have grown to love. With Star Trek being one of the most influential science fiction television shows of all time, it's only natural that fans want to see their favorite characters again. Picard showrunner Terry Matalas recently expressed confidence that the Next Generation cast members of the Paramount+ series will return to the screen.
Speaking with SFX, Matalas remained optimistic about the possibility of Jonathan Frakes, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, and Brent Spiner reprising their Next Generation roles once more. “They certainly did have a great time [on Picard Season 3] and they certainly all would love to do this again,” he said.
“I think there are ways of seeing these characters again, in a kind of 'Next, Next Generation' story. Not all these characters; I'm not gonna say they all necessarily make it out safely of Season 3. But I will say that in science fiction, there are always ways of seeing people again. So of course, who wouldn't want to do this forever?” Matalas concluded.
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Despite the fact that nothing is certain in the television world with many companies scrapping their movies and shows, there are no guarantees that the actors and Matalas would get their wishes to return in future installments of the franchise, but one can hope and dream amidst the uncertainty.
One Star Trek: The Next Generation veteran echoed Matalas' enthusiasm regarding the cast's post-Picard prospects. Jonathan Frakes, who plays Will Riker, previously hinted on Twitter that Picard wouldn't be his last Star Trek outing. Responding to a tweet by Paramount that branded the show's upcoming third season "the final voyage" for Jean-Luc Picard and his crew, Frakes wrote, "Maybe not final..." It's currently unclear whether Frakes was referring to his directorial duties on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 or a starring role in an as-yet-unannounced movie or TV show.
The actor has previously commented on the future of Star Trek films, stating that television will always be the way for audiences to connect with their favorite franchises, regardless of the time and space everyone appears to be in. “TV is the future, it seems to me,” he told the magazine.
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Whether the Picard stars will reunite on a new series or movie after the third season, fans can only hope that it will be as good or even better than the last time they were seen together.
Star Trek: Picard Seasons 1 and 2 are currently streaming on Paramount+, with Season 3 set to premiere on February 16, 2023.
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