Kate Mulgrew: There have been “conversations” about a Star Trek Janeway show

Captain Janeway was a groundbreaking character for the Star Trek franchise. Not only was she the first female captain of a Starship, but she was also portrayed as a strong and capable leader who wasn’t afraid to make tough decisions. Janeway would return to the franchise a few times, most recently in Star Trek: Prodigy. However, after the success of Star Trek: Picard, could we also see Star Trek: Janeway?

Speaking at the 56-Year Mission Star Trek convention in Las Vegas, Janeway actress Kate Mulgrew covered the highlights of her time on Star Trek: Voyager and whether we may once again see her take the lead in a new Star Trek show.

“I would say simply, that’s up to you. There are talks. There are conversations. Have I been offered anything directly? No,” Mulgrew told the audience. “I think they are looking at Picard and looking at the reaction to Picard… I don’t know, but I think Janeway was one of a kind. Right? But I do think it is up to you as much as it is up to me.”

Mulgrew had previously been somewhat skeptical about ever returning to live-action Star Trek, but now says she can feel a new energy in the franchise. “There is a real sense of revitalization. And Star Trek never dies. And Star Trek is undaunted by this kind of stuff. So we have to persevere. And we have to do it with real gusto.”

Mulgrew also had a lot of positive things to say about Anson Mount, who plays Captain Christopher Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. While Discovery and Picard certainly brought Star Trek back, many would ascribe the recent upsurge in popularity and interest to the success and positive reaction to Strange new Worlds:

"I just sat in the green room with Anson Mount. My youngest sister would call him ‘dreamy.’ A lovely, lovely guy. And we talked about what it means because he is before the original. And he explained to me how he feels about being in that position. And then I told him a little bit of what it was like to be Janeway and how it’s crossed every timeline and every sector, every quadrant, and every goal. And it’s just the most extraordinary thing, Star Trek. And I’m increasingly delighted to be a part of it."

What would a Star Trek: Janeway show look like?

Star Trek fans have eagerly been hoping for Star Trek: Sisko and Star Trek: Janeway since the debut of Star Trek: Picard. Unfortunately, Avery Brooks has not had an acting role to his name in some time, with fans wondering whether he is officially retired or not.

We got a clue last year when former costar Cirroc Lofton (Jake Sisko) said on the 7th Rule Podcast that there was “something bigger there, in which he is kind of being discriminated against.”

"I think it needs to be said because this is an important time we’re living in where we’re becoming very socially aware of the types of things that are regressive in society, things that are racial, sexual, and all kinds of revolutions we are having in thought and acceptance of people."

So if fans want a revival of ’90s Star Trek, Janeway may be their best bet. At the convention, one fan pointed out that Patrick Stewart was given creative control on Picard, asking whether Mulgrew had received the same on Prodigy.

“I was offered [creative control] before I even went into negotiations,” said Mulgrew. “That is exactly what Alex Kurtzman said. ‘This will be deeply collaborative from the first moment you could teach us.’ And that’s exactly the way it’s been…So yes, it’s collaborative. I think it’s a different thing. Live action is much more exacting because it’s very, very expensive. And a lot hangs on it, so I think that’s why Sir Patrick requested that. And I’m not sure it was entirely fulfilled.”

If Mulgrew has creative input on Prodigy, one would assume she’d get the same thing on a live-action Janeway show, meaning the character would be in safe hands.

Any hope for more Janeway lies with Paramount, Mulgrew herself, and fans. The actress has made it clear she is open to the idea, but nothing official has been announced yet. So Star Trek fans will have to keep their fingers crossed and hope they can again see Kate Mulgrew boldly go where no woman has gone before!

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