Even after all these years, Star Trek: The Next Generation remains the gold standard for hard sci-fi television. Beyond its many fantastic episodes and wonderful ensemble cast members that continue making headlines, the series had a knack for pulling in many notable guest stars during its run. Unfortunately, the cast had a bit of a reputation when it came to day-players, according to Jonathan Frakes, saying some thought they were "a--holes" after popping in and out.

The revelation came out during an episode of Dropping Names with Brent and Jonny, in which Frakes and co-host Brent Spiner welcomed on another TNG cast member, LeVar Burton. The actor and director brought up the pressure to memorize lines ahead of filming episodes on TNG, and how the cast as a whole thrived at bringing that together. As mentioned, though, he said that level of preparedness provided the fuel for an unfortunately negative reputation from outsiders who came into the show. As he put it:

Frakes was questioned by LeVar Burton on the descriptor and amended it to "rambunctious." Still, one can imagine the level of intimidation one might feel coming in as a guest star on Star Trek: The Next Generation. I know I'd hate to be the one-off actor who came in knowing that everyone in that room would have their lines memorized, and I'm expected to do the same!

Brent Spiner added that guest stars faced an additional challenge because Star Trek was a different beast when it came to dialogue. As actors on even the more modern shows would attest to, there's a specific cadence and words you'll find in this franchise that won't be anywhere else, to the point they need to be said out loud in advance before shooting:

The technobabble is a hurdle that even series regulars on the show, like Wil Wheaton, struggled with. I can imagine it was a real pain for a guest star coming in. Additionally, they had to adhere to the script and be "word perfect," so it wasn't like they could just improvise another line to get around it.

LeVar Burton added on to what Brent Spiner said, and made a comparison that maybe other actors wouldn't consider heading into Star Trek. The series had its own unique dialogue that was unlike other shows of the time, almost like performing a piece of classical literature:

Perhaps it's why Patrick Stewart, who had a decades-long tenure with the Royal Shakespeare Company before joining Star Trek: The Next Generation, thrived so much on the series. Jean-Luc Picard remains one of Trek's best characters to this very day, and it's those performances that propelled Stewart further into the Hollywood mainstream.

Of course, times change, and more modern Star Trek shows are a little looser with the dialogue. Robert Picardo recently admitted it was a shift he had to make when joining Starfleet Academy, though stands behind the series as one of its strongest advocates all the same. After all, Trek is all about progress and change, right?

Star Trek: The Next Generation is available on streaming with a Paramount+ subscription, along with many other shows from the franchise. Throw on an episode today to remember why it's the gold standard of sci-fi, or just to see the wonderful cast on the bridge.

The Night Court revival brought laughs to NBC's primetime lineup for three full seasons, but alas, the comedy won't be returning after its Season 3 finale earlier in the 2025 TV schedule. Despite a cast boasting sitcom legends like John Larroquette, Wendie Malick, and of course The Big Bang Theory alum Melissa Rauch, their show was part of network television's cancellation spree this spring.

Now, the leading lady has confirmed that the search for a new home hasn't resulted in a Season 4 order, but I'm reflecting on what so many A+ guest stars told CinemaBlend they loved about their time on Night Court.

The Search For A New Home Ends

The cancellation news broke not too long after I'd spoken to John Larroquette about the Season 3 cast getting "all the gears greased" and having the renewal/cancellation conversation "at least once a week," so it certainly wasn't the announcement that Night Court fans were hoping for. Melissa Rauch didn't post on social media about the cancellation at the time, and finally broke her silence in mid-June for an understandable but sad reason.

Apparently, the attempts to find a different network or platform to pick Night Court up for Season 4 didn't pan out. As Rauch shared on Instagram:

Yes, Abby Stone has banged her gavel for the last time, and fans won't be seeing Dan Fielding face off against Julianne in the future. Melissa Rauch's sad but sweet words actually reminded me of what she'd said earlier in the run of the show about feeling "such electricity" from the live studio audience, so I went back into my Night Court interview archives to revisit what so many excellent guest stars said about the audience.

Guest Stars Loved The Live Studio Audience

The final two episodes packed in some big guest stars, including Shrinking's Michael Urie in the penultimate episode as well as Young Sheldon's Raegan Revord and Big Bang Theory's Simon Helberg in the finale. Night Court was actually Revord's first show outside of CBS' Young Sheldon/Big Bang world in several years, and the teen had this to say when I asked about her experience in front of a live studio audience:

Michael Urie is another actor well known for a role in a single-cam comedy thanks to Shrinking, and he'd even won an award for the Apple TV+ show shortly before his Night Court episode aired. That said, he's also an accomplished theater actor, and he shared his own perspective on Night Court's audience:

Urie was a fan of the original Night Court back in the day, so I'd say that it's fitting that he got to appear in one of the reboot's final episodes. (You can stream the third season with a Peacock subscription now.) He went on:

While not all Night Court guest stars came to the show as fans of the original that ran for nine seasons between 1984 and 1992, some actually reprised their roles from it.

Brent Spiner and Annie O'Donnell didn't appear as series regulars on the original Night Court, but they were certainly memorable as the Wheelers who plagued Dan's very existence! After reprising their roles as Bob and June Wheeler in Season 2 of the reboot, they came back yet again in Season 3 for more hilarity. Brent Spiner shared his two cents on the third season's live audience:

Annie O'Donnell's thoughts echoed those of her on-screen Night Court husband, as she's evidently as much of a fan of the in-house audience as Spiner. She told me:

One doesn't have to be a returning star from the '80s to make an impression, of course, and Night Court brought a Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum back to NBC in a big way in Season 2.

No viewer would have confused Fumero's Brooklyn Nine-Nine character for her – to quote the actress – "really extra" Night Court character, but it was fun to see her on a very different kind of sitcom. After all, B99 didn't have a live studio audience! Speaking with CinemaBlend, Fumero said:

While it would have been nice for fans to see Fumero back on Night Court, it's probably best for the characters that Jasmine didn't show her face at the courthouse again! The actress returned to NBC for Grosse Pointe Garden Society this year, with the wait still on for whether the dark comedy will return for Season 2.

Paul Scheer also came to Night Court as a veteran of TV comedies with shows like Black Monday and The League, as well as plenty of live performances in front of an audience. The NBC sitcom was his first experience on a multi-cam, however, and he only had good things to say about it:

Scheer's Season 2 episode of Night Court was a one-and-done, despite an ending that was open enough to possibly bring him back in the future.

Night Court celebrated what is now officially its last Christmas on the air with a holiday episode that brought in Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Joe Lo Truglio and Mad TV's Andy Daly for a murder mystery. While neither of their spinoff ideas materialized in a new NBC sitcom, they each shared their perspectives on the live studio audience. Lo Truglio said:

For Andy Daly, the fun of the Night Court studio audience also became a family affair when he brought a loved one to set with him. The prolific voice actor told me:

Sadly, these guest stars enjoying the Night Court ride doesn't mean that the sitcom itself will be able to return for a fourth season. Their comments are a testament to the atmosphere that Melissa Rauch – who was an executive producer as well as star – and Co. built on set, and it seems that the Night Court ride was fun while it lasted. John Larroquette even explained why so many actors "love coming and playing on the show because they know it's going to be funny."

If you want to relive that ride, the full third season is available streaming now on Peacock. I'll be among the fans missing the show in the wake of its cancellation, both because of the chemistry between the series regulars with their zany weekly shenanigans and the seemingly endless supply of A+ comedy actors who brought their talents to the small screen to participate.

Brent Spiner is best known for playing Data in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and he’s certainly one of those actors who gave amazing performances as robots. However, between Star Trek: Nemesis killing Data off and Spiner saying multiple times he didn’t want to reprise the character, it seemed like we’d never see him onscreen again. Then Star Trek: Picard came along and saw Spiner stepping back into Data’s shoes in the first and third seasons. As a longtime Next Generation fan, I was pleased to see Spiner bring Data back to life again, but I also completely understand why the actor originally had no interest in playing the android again.

Brent Spiner acknowledged the times he’d declared he’d never play Data again while chatting with Katee Sackhoff on The Sackhoff Show. The Night Court alum noted that he’ll never say such a thing again, but he did have the following to say about why he initially hesitant of returning to Data:

It’s one thing to see Jean-Luc Picard, William Riker, Beverly Crusher, Deanna Troi, Geordi LaForge and Worf older, but Data is an android, meaning he’s not supposed to age. So I understand where Brent Spiner is coming from. There’s nothing that could stop him from aging, and in turn would rid Data of the youthfulness that made him so appealing to Spiner. I never thought I’d hear Data compared to Harpo Marx, one of the greatest comedic talents of the early 20th century alongside his brothers, but here we are.

But Spiner changed his tune when Star Trek: Picard Season 3 showrunner Terry Matalas approached him with his idea for Data to finally make a full return as part of the Next Generation cast reunion. The actor recalled:

A copy of Data’s consciousness was seen towards the end of Star Trek: Picard Season 1, and Jean-Luc Picard honored this version of his friend’s request to terminate him so that he could experience “death.” Then in Season 2, Brent Spiner played Adam Soong, the ancestor of Noonian Soong, creator of Data, his evil brother Lore and their more primitive predecessor B-4. Finally, in Picard Season 3, a different version of Data’s consciousness was reactivated in a new synthetic body, albeit older-looking, that merged with the personalities of Lore, B-4 and his daughter Lal, creating the most human Data yet.

Although a purple Data from another universe appeared in Star Trek: Lower Decks’ final season, it remains to be seen if we’ll ever reunite with the Prime Universe version of the character post-Star Trek: Picard. However, there continue to be upcoming Star Trek TV shows to look forward to, including Strange New Worlds Season 3 premiering on the 2025 TV schedule next month, and Starfleet Academy arriving sometime in 2026.

There's upcoming Star Trek shows on the horizon, but with only Starfleet Academy and new seasons of Strange New Worlds to look forward to, certainly room for the franchise to greenlight more ideas. While we've heard whispers of a live-action Janeway project, there's an opportunity to highlight other characters. And if they're interested, Brent Spiner recently signaled he's ready to return as Data.

Spiner last played Data in Season 3 of Star Trek: Picard, but with the franchise seemingly uninterested in making a sequel series (despite stars advocating for it), it felt as though that may be the end of The Next Generation crew appearing on television. Anything can happen, however, and if the Trek executives decide they want Data back in the saddle in a series, Spiner told ScreenRant he's up for returning:

This is quite a shift from what Brent Spiner said years ago when he made sure Data wouldn't return for Season 2 after being killed off in Star Trek: Picard Season 1. It seems as though he's had a change of heart, though no doubt I think it helps that Data's "older" form has created a reason for the character to look different in the story.

Though he fell short of appearing on CinemaBlend's list for best Star Trek characters of all time, Data remains a fan favorite for The Next Generation fans. No doubt there are many who would love to see the character have more adventures, though eventually, we do have to wonder when the franchise will start recasting some of these iconic roles as they've done for the original generation of actors.

Of course, there's probably something a little more tricky when it comes to recasting 94-year-old William Shatner with Paul Wesley and replacing Brent Spiner when he's still actively appearing on television. Worf actor Michael Dorn told CinemaBlend he hoped he'd be dead by the time Star Trek considered recasting his role, and I don't think it's a stretch to believe his TNG co-stars like Spiner feel the same way.

At the same time, Brent Spiner has the advantage in that he's also able to appear in Star Trek as one of the many ancestors and descendants of Dr. Noonien Soong, the creator of Data. We've seen him do that a handful of times across different eras of Trek, to the point it feels like a running gag that all of this guy's relatives look like him.

None of this really matters, however, if Star Trek doesn't have a way for Data to return. As I said previously, there doesn't seem to be interest in a follow-up to Picard, despite the series finale setting the stage for more adventures with Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine teaming up with other past members of the Enterprise crew. Unless this follow-up is greenlit, the question of whether Brent Spiner will return as Data is likely moot.

Stream Star Trek: The Next Generation's Data episodes on Paramount+, and check out Brent Spiner appearing in Picard as well. Even if we never get more appearances, there's no shortage of great moments to enjoy from the past.

Night Court fans are in for a treat with the next new episode of the 2025 TV schedule, as two of the most memorable guest stars both from the original series and the 2023 revival are on the way back. Brent Spiner and Annie O'Donnell's Bob and June Wheeler will return to vex Dan (John Larroquette) as much as ever, nearly 40 years to the date after their first episodes. I spoke with the Wheeler actors after I rewatched their first scenes from back in 1985, and they reflections made me all the more excited for their returns.

The Wheelers return in the new episode on Tuesday, March 25, called "A Few Good Hens." As you might be able to guess from the title – not to mention the kinds of characters that the Wheelers are – they're back in the courtroom due to an incident involving some chickens, with Dan once again tasked with defending his cursed nemeses... but this time, he's going up against Wendie Malick's Julianne Waters.

When I got the opportunity to speak with the stars, I first went back to their 1985 debuts as the Wheelers, thanks to the original series' availability with an Amazon Prime Video subscription. Bob and June were already funny from their very first scene, with their daughter Carol Ann (who would be played by The Big Bang Theory's Kate Micucci for the Wheelers' first revival arrivals) in tow. I shared with Annie O'Donnell that I'd revisited that episode from back in 1985, and she responded:

Annie O'Donnell and Brent Spiner appeared in a grand total of six episodes from the original run of the series, with the former suspecting that they would have been around much longer if both of their schedules had been more free. Their arrivals in Season 2 last year made for their seventh episode, with the March 25 installment as their eighth. The actress, who appeared on Matlock opposite Kathy Bates earlier this TV season, went on:

Normally, guest stars reprising their roles so many times would be notable but not really spectacular, but that's not the case when all of those appearances span the past four decades! Brent Spiner, who has also been reprising his role as Data in Star Trek in recent years, shared his own take on the 40 years of Bob Wheeler:

When I noted that I'd rewatched those 1985 opening scenes, I had to point out that the Wheelers truly have been a curse for Dan over the course of nearly a half century. Spiner responded:

Dan Fielding is never happy to see the Wheelers turn up in the courtroom, and fans won't want to miss the new episode on March 25 with the addition of another member of the family: The Resident alum Andy Ridings as Crash Wheeler. Kate Micucci returns as Carol Ann as well. And while Dan and the Wheelers aren't bosom buddies, Brent Spiner only had good things to say about working with John Larroquette again:

It remains to be seen what kind of trouble the Wheelers cause in their latest return to Night Court, but it's probably a safe bet that their curse on the courthouse hasn't been broken since they turned up in Season 2. Annie O'Donnell commented:

"A Few Good Hens" airs on Tuesday, March 25 at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC, following the latest installment of St. Denis Medical. Unlike Night Court, the medical mockumentary has already been renewed, so it's currently a waiting game to learn if Melissa Rauch and John Larroquette's show will return to Tuesdays in the 2025-2026 TV schedule. For now, you can always revisit earlier episodes of Season 3 streaming with a Peacock subscription.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode “Fully Dilated” are ahead!

The latest episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks to premiere on the 2024 TV schedule brought with it some pleasant surprises. In addition to delivering a fun homage to the classic Star Trek: The Next Generation episode “The Hidden Light”, “Fully Dilated” also featured Brent Spiner reprising Data, albeit a purple version from another universe whose head got stuck on a preindustrial planet. If you’re like me, seeing Data’s head all on its own made you think of the Next Generation two-parter “Time’s Arrow”. Not only were these episodes — which I highly recommend streaming with a Paramount+ subscription — referenced in true Lower Decks fashion, supervising producer Barry Kelly shared with me the improvised line that made it into this callback.

During his first conversation with Tendi in “Fully Dilated”, Purple Data mentioned that she should not be concerned that his body got burned up in the shuttle crash that left him stranded on Dilmer III, as he has “just been a head before.” Later in the episode, the android told her he struggled to build an electromagnetic field core when he was stranded in 19th century San Francisco. When she asked how she got back to her own time, he said “waited in a cave until Captain Picard, myself and some guy in a silver jumpsuit dug me out.”

Because “Time’s Arrow” is my favorite Next Generation story, I had to bring up the reference while interviewing Kelly, and he shared with me the below information:

Serving as Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Season 5 finale and Season 6 premiere, “Time’s Arrow” opened with Data’s disembodied head being discovered in a cavern near Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. The aforementioned silver jump suit guy showing “present day” Data and Jean-Luc Picard the strange sight, which was uncovered when Starfleet discovered that natives from Devidia II had been present on Earth 500 years before. Soon after, Data was transported back to the 19th century, where he met Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name Mark Twain, and a younger version of Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan.

Although Data’s body made it back to the 24th century thanks to his comrades from the Enterprise-D coming to rescue him, his head was blown off in the process. So the 500-year-old head found earlier was ultimately reattached to Data’s body. Having Purple Data succinctly, yet amusingly summarize “Time’s Arrow” in this way was a fun treat, and now knowing that line was improvised makes it even better for me. While it’s a shame we didn’t see Data alongside his good friend Geordi LaForge, something Barry Kelly had hoped would happen on Lower Decks, at least his head got to be quickly reactivated this time rather than stay shut down like in “Time’s Arrow”.

The final three episodes of Star Trek: Lower Decks drops Thursdays on Paramount+. After that, Strange New Worlds Season 3 will be released sometime on the 2025 TV schedule, and Starfleet Academy is also on the slate of upcoming Star Trek TV shows.

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Lower Decks episode “Fully Dilated” are ahead!

In just a few weeks, Star Trek: Lower Decks will conclude on the 2024 TV schedule after a five-season run. But there are still some exciting things to look forward to before the grand finale, like seeing Voyager’s Harry Kim meet the crew of the USS Cerritos. Today’s episode, however, brought a pleasant surprise in the form of Brent Spiner reprising Next Generation favorite Data, albeit a Data from a universe where the color purple is a lot more prominent. Ahead of the episode’s premiere to Paramount+ subscription holders, I spoke to supervising producer Barry Kelly about the story behind including Data in “Fully Dilated”, as well as how this episode delivered a “great supervision” homage for the Next Generation episode “The Inner Light”.

Why Data Was A Good Fit For This Lower Decks Episode

“Fully Dilated” saw Mariner, Tendi and T’Lyn visiting Dilmer III, a preindustrial planet where time passes significantly more quickly, just like the planet from the Voyager episode “Blink of an Eye”. The trio had to beam down to the surface because a purple Enterprise-D ended up in the Prime Universe while battling some evil clones of Tasha Yar, and they accidentally left behind a piece of Starfleet technology on that world. It ended up being the head of the purple universe’s Data. Tendi was later able to create an electric generator to turn Data back on, and he became her confidant for the rest of their time on Dilmer III. Here’s what Kelly told be about Data’s inclusion when we began our conversation:

Although Barry Kelly’s desire to have Data and Geordi LaForge paired together on Lower Decks never came to fruition, at least the former found his way in. It’s also important to take note of how the producer mentioned that purple Data comes from his universe’s Enterprise-D, mean he also comes from the past and hasn’t had the same experiences that the main universe’s Data had from Generations onward. That’s certainly evident from purple Data’s lack of an emotion chip, but that also allowed for a return of sorts of the Data from the Star Trek days.

How Lower Decks Played With The Premise Of “The Inner Light”

As a result of Boimler and Rutherford accidentally spilling their micheladas on the transporter console and taking a minute to clean up the mess, Mariner, Tendi and T’Lyn spent a year from their perspective on Dilmer III. Initially frustrated by being stuck on the world, Mariner decided to do her own version of “The Inner Light”, the Next Generation episode where Jean-Luc Picard experienced 40 years living the life of a long-dead alien within the span of just 25 minutes in real life. On the subject of Lower Decks putting its own spin on this classic episode, Barry Kelly told me this:

Mariner tried her best to replicate Picard’s experience in a more condensed time frame, but each attempt to ingratiate herself into the community led to her being thrown in prison. It was a comical twist on “The Inner Light,” and like Picard, Mariner came away from the experience with her own flute. That one, however, is made of soap, and she cannot play it well… at all. Classic Lower Decks shenanigans.

The final episode of Star Trek: Lower Decks drop Thursdays at Paramount+. The upcoming Star Trek TV shows include Stranger New Worlds Season 3 and Starfleet Academy, and the streaming-exclusive movie Section 31 premieres January 24.

When Star Trek: Generations is mentioned to fans of the franchise, a few gripes are often brought up. Some will go on about Kirk's death or that overly long holodeck scene where everyone is pretending to be part of a royal navy. Whatever the case, the movie ranks among the lowest of CinemaBlend's list of best Trek movies, but there is one thing I think it excels at in comparison to all the others.

I decided to stream the movie with my Paramount+ subscription after watching the recent anniversary video that brought William Shatner back via de-aging technology and a prolific Star Wars actor. While I may have my issues with the technology, I have to give it props because it showed me why this movie is a classic, and it's thanks to the performance given by Brent Spiner.

Brent Spiner Shines In Star Trek: Generations In A Way He Rarely Had The Chance To Previously

One of the things I hear quite often in interviews with the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation is just how hilarious Brent Spiner was on set. Specifically, I always laugh at Wil Wheaton's story about getting in trouble because of Spiner mocking Patrick Stewart's accent. That's just one of many stories and examples of the actor being hilarious, which was something we didn't seen on-screen too often.

Sure, the occasional WTF plot in TNG would allow for Data to have some wild interaction or his misunderstanding of what it means to be human would be played for a laugh. He often wasn't able to go full-on slapstick cornball when he was playing the Synth, but fortunately, we saw that change in Star Trek: Generations.

It all kicks off on the perfect note, with the classic beat of Data fundamentally misunderstanding the humor in a situation. Data forcefully shoves Beverly Crusher into the holodeck's ocean, thinking everyone will find it as "funny" as when Riker removed the plank and caused Worf to fall in. It went over like a fart in church, as one would say, which may be why I was in tears while the horrified Enterprise crew looked at Data in shock. It sets the best story arc of the movie in motion and a level of humor we haven't seen in a Star Trek movie since.

Spiner's Scenes As Data Are Some Of Star Trek: Generations' Best Scenes

If you told me I had to choose between watching Malcolm McDowell's Soran and Picard kick rocks around in silence in the desert or Data perform a 45-minute version of his "Lifeforms" song, I'd go with the latter every time. I think it's because the movie suffers from so many awkward and sparse scenes that when lined up against Spiner's Data struggling with the effects of a malfunctioned emotion chip, it's not really hard to see which is the much better one in comparison.

The chip gives Brent Spiner a license to be a clown, and boy, does he nearly get it suspended by taking every scene right up to the edge of being too much. I wouldn't be surprised if I talked to a Star Trek fan who found his whole bit with Mr. Tricoder to be one of the most cringe-inducing moments of the franchise, but in the context of the story, it's just so hilarious to me. I wouldn't find this nearly as funny in an episode of Full House, but when it's a Star Trek motion picture, where are the stakes are at their highest? This is cinema.

I can think of a moment in which every Star Trek: Generations cast member falls a bit short in this movie, except for Brent Spiner. In all fairness, his subplot is mostly self-contained to the main story, and he's there to be the comedic relief. The burden of the movie's success is not on him, and yet I find it to be the only reason I'd ever want to watch it again. I can only credit that to his level of commitment to the story, and his true comedic chops as an actor that are so proudly on display in this film.

If He Wasn't So Great At Being Regular Data, You'd Almost Want This Version Around All The Time

What I really realized when watching Star Trek: Generations is how you need someone like Brent Spiner to make the normal character of Data work at all. There's an understanding in the physical comedy and delivery in an android frequently misunderstanding what it means to be human, and in making it work, you help bring the audience along and show them what it would be like to be inhuman. People are so baffled about the weird things AI can't understand about human life, but I've watched Data fumble enough to know it's easier said than done.

As fun as it is to see Brent Spiner really clown out and give an unhinged performance as Data, it also doesn't work if that's just who the character is all the time. Star Trek fans love the stone-faced android, are fascinated with the human condition, and desperately want to be a part of it as well. I love the Data that thinks Sherlock Holmes' deerstalker hat is a statement fashion piece that makes him look like an incredible detective, not someone who is intentionally trying to make it look goofy.

What I'm saying is that we were given a gift in Star Trek: Generations in regards to Brent Spiner's Data performance. I could be wrong, but I don't think we're going to get anything that silly in a franchise movie ever again, especially since it hasn't happened since this movie's release in 1994. I would love to be wrong, though and get a standalone Soong movie where the whole movie is just basically The Nutty Professor meets Star Trek. Maybe that would be too much, but we'll never know unless someone "boldly" tries to find out.

Star Trek: Generations is available to stream on Paramount+. Give it a watch in honor of the 30th anniversary and see why I was in stitches watching Brent Spiner act an absolute fool as Data in this classic movie.

Spoilers ahead for the March 12 episode of Night Court Season 2, called "Wheelers of Fortune."

Night Court became a successful revival right off the bat back in 2023 for NBC, with a new Judge Stone but a familiar format and a familiar face. John Larroquette was originally the only star from the original series to join Melissa Rauch's reboot, but Marsha Warfield returned as Roz at the end of Season 1. Now, Night Court brought back none other than the Wheelers, with Brent Spiner and Annie O'Donnell reprising their roles from back in the '80s. O'Donnell opened up to CinemaBlend about the story behind the return in the 2024 TV schedule.

Annie O'Donnell and Brent Spiner debuted as June and Bob Wheeler back in 1985 with four episodes of the original Night Court's third season, followed by another two episodes in Season 4 in 1987. When I spoke with O'Donnell, she shared how she reacted when found out that the team behind the revival wanted to bring the Wheelers back:

While the shortage of original series stars in the revival is at least partly due to many of the cast members passing away, longtime fans have certainly had ideas about who they'd like to see come back. Melissa Rauch was a fan of the original series, so I'd say it was fun to see how Abby was delighted to meet Bob and June in "Wheelers of Fortune." That said, Dan knew to expect some bad luck as soon as they stepped foot in the courtroom, so he was less delighted. Annie O'Donnell also shared that this episode was the first time she'd reunited with Brent Spiner in many years, but they certainly seemed comfortable with each other!

Of course, not everybody who is tuning in to the 2023 revival on NBC or streaming via Peacock Premium subscription has seen the original series that introduced the Wheelers. As a newcomer to Night Court myself with the reboot, I enjoyed how "Wheelers of Fortune" portrayed them as having history with Dan without requiring the backstory ahead of time. I asked Annie O'Donnell how well she thinks the episode works as an introduction to the Wheelers, and she explained:

Kim Tran wrote "Wheelers of Fortune" for Night Court after joining the writing team for the second season. O'Donnell only had good things to say about how Tran brought the Wheelers back to TV after nearly forty years, which included the addition of a new member of the family: daughter Carol Ann, played by Big Bang Theory alum Kate Micucci and every bit as weird as Bob and June.

With so much time between her last appearance as June Wheeler in 1987 and her return in 2024, did O'Donnell need a refresher on the role? She explained whether or not she rewatched any of her older episodes, saying:

The Wheelers definitely had a distinctive accent and look that extended to their daughter in "Wheelers of Fortune," and Annie O'Donnell revisited her earlier performances to make sure that she brought those elements back this time around. So, would she be open to coming back to Night Court as June Wheeler with her on-screen husband along for the ride? The actress answered that very question:

Brent Spiner spent the past few years revisiting a role that was certainly wonderful for Star Trek fans, as he reprised his iconic character of Data for Star Trek: Picard. Now that Picard has come to an end, perhaps he could team up with Annie O'Donnell and Kate Micucci to bring to full Wheeler family back to NBC again!

Of course, NBC has not yet officially ordered a third season of Night Court at the time of writing, so a renewal is the first development that needs to happen to hold out hope for more Wheeler action. For now, you can find new episodes of Night Court on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, ahead of Extended Family and The Voice.

Brent Spiner has managed to pop in almost every major era of Star Trek thanks to his portrayal of various members of the Soong family. While the Soongs have been on the right and wrong side of Trek history with their scientific advancements, they've ultimately played a key part in many stories over the years. With that said, Spiner feels like there's more to their story to still be told, and he has some ideas. 

I spoke to Brent Spiner about his long stint in Star Trek and wondered if he ever wanted to play characters who weren't androids or members of the Soong family. What I was surprised to learn is that Spiner is not at all tired of playing Soongs, and he spoke about it at length with me during our conversation: 

As Brent Spiner said, the Soong family had origins dating back before Adam Soong, and of course there's also a good stretch of time after him with other descendants that isn't well accounted for. There are certainly stories left untold when it comes to the Soongs, but just how deep does that well run? 

If you're Brent Spiner, he's convinced there's enough material there for Star Trek shows to cover Soong's origins and identity. The actor spoke about the possible questions such a series could answer and teased he'd been thinking about the answers to those questions over the years: 

I didn't ask for any of Brent Spiner's ideas on the Soong family, but I can personally say that I'm invested in hearing their story fleshed out further in a Trek series or even a miniseries. As I mentioned previously, the Soongs are a pretty notable part of Trek history, with their hands in everything from the creation of advanced sentient synthetic human life to augmented human beings. A family like that would surely have many interesting stories to tell and could be placed amongst some key moments in the timeline a normal series might not touch on. 

An added bonus of making a Soong Star Trek series would also be to show the connective tissue between them and the characters we've already met in the series. As Brent Spiner said, there's a bit of Soong in even the androids that he created before Data's latest incarnation, as he likened Adam Soong's personality in Picard Season 2 to that of Lore:

It's trippy to think about a Soong series considering doing one wouldn't necessarily be closely tied to Starfleet, but that might be the most interesting element. A Star Trek series like this would allow fans to see the world through the lens of a family who helped shape it and clearly thought there were imperfections that needed addressing.

Of course, Brent Spiner isn't the first Star Trek cast member to pitch a series that sounds intriguing, but isn't guaranteed to happen. Michael Dorn is still working on pitching a Klingon series, and many Picard cast members are hoping Picard showrunner Terry Matalas will get rehired to make a continuation series after its conclusion. As great as all these ideas may be, they're still very much just ideas and not currently a part of the current Trek schedule. Hopefully they will be someday, though, because I'm loving the continued enthusiasm we're seeing of wanting to tell fresh stories in this franchise!

Catch Brent Spiner on Star Trek: Picard, with new episodes being available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription on Thursdays. The series is quickly winding down, but rest assured, there are still plenty of other Trek episodes on Paramount+ featuring Spiner's Data, Lore and, of course, the Soong family to watch after that. 

Warning: SPOILERS for the Star Trek: Picard episode “Surrender” are ahead!

Like Patrick Stewart, Jeri Ryan and Michelle Hurd, Brent Spiner has appeared in every season of Star Trek: Picard, but going into Season 3, it was unclear which character he would be playing. Then in October 2022, it was revealed he’d be reprising Lore, Data’s evil twin (who was originally going to be way different), but now we know it’s a bit more complicated than that. Spiner is actually playing a golem android containing the personalities of both Lore and Data, and this latest episode, “Surrender,” featured a fight for dominance over the body between the two characters. A big part of this conflict involved mementos from Data’s The Next Generation days being shown off, as well as his pet cat Spot, and Spiner explained why working with a cat was easier this time around compared to on the Star Trek series that ran from 1987 to 1994.

Introduced in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 4 episode “Data’s Day,” Spot was portrayed by a variety of different cats over her eight appearances on the show, as well as the movies Generations (you know, the one where James Kirk died) and Nemesis. While Spot is obviously long since gone by the time the events of Star Trek: Picard unfold, a simulation of the cat was seen as Lore was taking Data's memories. CinemaBlend’s own Mick Joest had the opportunity to talk with Brent Spiner, and he asked how working with a cat this time around compared to his earlier years playing Data, as Spiner has frequently mentioned how he was frequently frustrated by the cats used on The Next Generation. The actor responded:

The cats who played Spot on Star Trek: The Next Generation certainly earned their keep, as viewers would see them do things like repeatedly jump on Data’s desk and obnoxiously meow for food or to play. In contrast, all the cat in “Surrender” had to do was be picked up by Brent Spiner as the actor spoke as Data about how Spot taught him to love, and then continue being held by Lore. It’s a walk in the park for a cat to simply be petted and adored, as any feline owner will tell you.

Spot’s appearance in the newest Star Trek: Picard episode came at a particularly emotional juncture, as it was among the Data memories Lore seized for himself, and with each relinquished memory, it seemed as though the Data personality in the Daystrom Android M-5-10 was closer to be eliminated. Fortunately, Lore’s plan backfired, as the Data personality was instead able to use those memories to alter Lore’s programming and have them merge together. Although aspects of Lore remain in the android body, as well as the memory files from B-4 and Altan Inigo Soong also being present, it’s now Data who’s in full control. As he later told William Riker, he’s still mostly himself, “albeit with a dash of computational Joie de vivre.”

There are just two episodes left of Star Trek: Picard for Paramount+ subscribers to look forward to, but with all the talk among the fanbase and talent associated with the show about a potential spinoff called Star Trek: Legacy, this may not be the end of the road for certain Next Generation characters, including Brent Spiner’s Data. For now, Paramount+ is where you’ll find all the other Star Trek shows located, and our 2023 TV schedule is available to peruse if you’re curious about what other small screen entertainment is available to watch now.

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 has received a good deal of acclaim from critics and viewers since its launch, and while the series is set to end, there are those saying we need more. Fans and even the cast of Picard are rallying around the idea of a spinoff that continues the adventures of Trek characters in the 25th century. Showrunner Terry Matalas even has thrown out Star Trek: Legacy as the potential name of this hypothetical series. With all the hype building around that movement, it only seemed natural to ask someone about it who has been with Picard all three seasons to gauge his willingness for more adventures, Brent Spiner.

Brent Spiner has appeared in all three seasons of Picard playing Data, members of the Soong family and a combination of the three, plus Lore and B-4, that sports an older body in Season 3.  During a recent interview with the actor, I brought up the increase in calls for a Picard spinoff and asked him if he'd be willing to return if something like that was on the table. Spiner kicked things off with a pretty blunt truth we all need to acknowledge, but then gave his honest thoughts on the idea: 

Star Trek fans who might be holding out hope that there's a secret spinoff we don't know about need to read and re-read Brent Spiner's first statement. As of writing, there's no Picard spinoff that is currently in development or being discussed at this time, even if the show sets one up at the end. With First Contact Day around the corner, I'm sure there are some hoping to be surprised by that information, but it seems pretty clear that an actual spinoff is not a part of the upcoming Star Trek schedule at this time. 

With that said, Brent Spiner seemed willing to add his name to the list of actors and actresses who want to see the Picard side of the Star Trek universe continue. It's definitely something I'd like to see as a fan, especially with this new iteration of Data we're seeing. 

The series recently revealed that Data was reconstructed, but merged with the personalities of Lore, B-4, and Altan Soong. The possibility of seeing Spiner play all of these characters in the future is exciting, assuming there's a series for him to do it in. 

Again, all we know at this time is that Star Trek: Picard is a three-season series, and there were no plans for a spinoff. With that said, Strange New Worlds came to be with the collective efforts of fans and creatives, so it's not out of the realm of possibility to believe it could happen at some point. Of course, fans will have to continue to push for it and use their Paramount+ subscriptions to watch the series. 

Star Trek: Picard streams new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+. This season is quickly moving toward an end, but if we're lucky, we'll see a spinoff announced that will give the 25th century continued life in the future. 

Star Trek: Picard is gearing up for its final season, and it has some wild things planned for the big reunion of The Next Generation cast. This includes loading the season with villains, like Amanda Plummer’s new character Captain Vadic, and even some familiar faces, like Daniel Davis’ Moriarty and Brent Spiner’s Lore. There are so many villains, in fact, that I’m questioning if they’re all really going to be baddies when it’s all said and done. I’m curious, specifically, if one of them is coming back for a redemption arc, but is it wild for me to assume it’s going to be Lore? 

I’m sure there are more than a few people nodding yes while reading, but I can’t help but shake the feeling we’re going to get a hero arc for one of Star Trek: The Next Generation’s most iconic villains. Here are some of the things I’m thinking about as we wait for more answers on Lore’s return and more things about what Picard Season 3 holds in store.

Lore’s Destabilizing Emotions Swings Positive As Well As Negative

Lore is commonly known as Data’s evil twin in Star Trek: The Next Generation, but the reality is that he is more complicated than that. Lore wasn’t intentionally created by Dr. Noonian Soong to be evil, but he was created with emotional intelligence that his “brother” and later model Data lacked upon creation. This emotional intelligence allowed Lore to be a more human-like Synth, but his emotions proved unstable and created a mental complex where he believed himself to be superior to humanity. 

Lore has definitely done a number of bad and even abhorrent things, but he’s not without remorse. In fact, we’ve seen flashes of his empathy in TNG episodes, like “Brothers,” when he felt remorse to learn Dr. Soong was dying. Granted, it didn’t take long for him to go back to his evil ways soon after, but that flash of empathy is proof enough that Lore is capable of change. 

If Lore is capable of great evil, then it only makes sense he’d also be capable of great acts of kindness. I’d also like to point out this feels like a twist that is on brand with Star Trek: Picard, which has worked to add new dimensions to franchise favorite characters like Q and Wesley Crusher. The only way I see to evolve Lore further would be to make him an ally of Picard and the crew, which I’m very much on board with. 

It’s Possible Lore Was Altered In His Recreation

Let’s not forget that there’s one major question to address in regards to Lore’s return, and that’s the question of how it happened. As we know from Star Trek: The Next Generation’s two-parter “Descent,” Lore was dismantled and disassembled after his defeat. And yet, here he is in the Picard Season 3 trailer, looking very much intact and assembled. 

Not only is Lore intact, but he looks aged. In reality, we know that while Synths like Data and Lore don’t age, actor Brent Spiner certainly does. We can’t rule out that Star Trek: Picard is merely hoping we’ll give them a pass on skimping on the de-aging budget in order to bring Spiner back to this iconic role, but I’m sure the actual story is more complicated than that. 

We know that members of the Soong family currently exist in the Star Trek: Picard timeline, and that they’re doing some interesting things with Synths in this series. Soji, for example, was a Synth who appeared on all scans to be entirely human. Let’s also not forget that Jean-Luc is also living in a Synth shell after his illness required his consciousness be transferred to another vessel. If Admiral Picard can walk around in a robot body and it's not be weird, can we really nitpick Lore returning from the dead and looking much older than his last appearance? 

If Lore’s appearance can be altered, I think it’s silly to assume other parts of him wouldn’t be altered as well. Few people would willingly bring back one of the most malevolent Synths in existence without some means of offsetting his violent tendencies, even if they are also a bad guy. Lore is just too dangerous to have around otherwise, so I suspect there’s something else that will impact his overall demeanor in Picard. 

Star Trek: Picard Is A Farewell Season To The TNG Crew

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 is, essentially, the final voyage of The Next Generation crew. It’s expected this will be one of the last times, if not the final time we see this ensemble cast together. While Data died (again) back in Season 1, Brent Spiner is still a part of the crew. Spiner will take part in this season as Lore, and while I could be completely off base here, I’d like to think he’d like to share some screen time with his costars. 

Amanda Plummer is playing the main big bad of Star Trek: Picard Season 3, so I don’t imagine there will be many opportunities for Lore to share a screen with the TNG co-stars as a villain. With that said, if Lore became temporarily or permanently aligned with Picard and the crew, it opens up an opportunity for Brent Spiner to share scenes with his friends and put a unique twist on it by playing Lore. 

Since there’s so little we know about Lore’s return, it’s really hard to speculate what role he’ll play in Picard Season 3. This could be a quick one-and-done thing, though I’m certainly hoping not considering how awesome Lore is. We’ll just have to wait and see on that front though, and hope it’s enough time to explain some of the big questions we already have about him. I know I’m hoping to see more of Lore in Season 3 than we saw of Data in Season 1. 

Lore Is Working With Worf In An Upcoming Star Trek Comic

One final thing worth mentioning is that there’s a new comic series on the way in 2023 where Lore joins forces with some notable Starfleet characters. Star Trek: Defiant aligns Lore with B'Elanna Torres, Spock, and Worf in what’s described as a fugitive mission from Starfleet to stop a big threat. That’s right, Lore and Worf are going to team up in a comic, and could lay the groundwork for some truce they have going forward. Would that necessarily be something that Picard acknowledges in its final season? 

I won’t pretend I know the answer, especially because the line between canon gets sketchy when folks start trying to link events in comics and television shows that aren’t explicitly confirmed to have a connection. I will say, however, that it was very interesting to hear Lore and Worf are teaming up in a comic hours around the same time it was officially revealed Lore is in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. I’m hoping it means something, but will certainly be checking out Defiant either way. 

Star Trek: Picard Season 3 will premiere for anyone with a Paramount+ subscription on Thursday, February 16th. The wait for the final season is still a while out, but luckily there are other great new Star Trek shows on the way to keep fans entertained in the meantime. 

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Picard Season 2, including the episode “Two of One,” are ahead!

Brent Spiner is best known for playing the sympathetic android Data in the Star Trek franchise, but it’s certainly not the only character he’s brought to life in this universe. In addition to playing Data’s evil “twin brother” Lore in a handful of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, Spiner has also appeared as various members of the Soong family, from Data’s creator Noonian Soong to geneticist Adam Soong, Noonian’s ancestor from 21st century Los Angeles. Adam Soong entered the Star Trek: Picard Season 2 picture in “Fly Me to the Moon,” and Spiner has shared some details on his new character, how he made sure Data wouldn’t return for this season of the Paramount+ series and more.

In “Fly Me to the Moon,” Adam Soong was presented as a father desperate to cure his daughter Kore (played by Isa Briones, who also stars in Star Trek: Picard as Soji Asha, Data’s android “daughter”) of her genetic disease that prevents her from being exposed to sunlight and non-filtered air. However, in “Two of One,” Kore learned that she was the latest product of a series of cloning experiments that Adam Soong carried out, with all her predecessors having died. In an interview with THR, Brent Spiner had the following to say about his character now being painted in a sinister light:

While Adam Soong is chronologically the first Soong family member to get in way too deep with genetic experimentation, he isn’t the only Soong Star Trek fans have seen become obsessed with this scientific field. Brent Spiner previously appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise as Dr. Arik Soong, who was desperate to prove the benefits of genetic engineering (which had been banned after the Eugenics Wars) and show that not all humans enhanced in such a way would turn out like Khan Noonien Singh. Eventually though, Arik abandoned that work and turned his attention to artificial life, paving the way for Noonian Soong to eventually create androids like B-4, Data and Lore.

Adam Soong is the second new character Brent Spiner has played on Star Trek: Picard, as he appeared in Season 1 as Altan Soong, Noonian’s son. Additionally, Spiner appeared as both a hallucination of Data and a copy of the android’s consciousness in the Picard Season 1 premiere and finale, respectively. The Data copy requested that Jean-Luc Picard terminate his existence, marking the second time we’ve seen this character die, as the original Data sacrificed his life in Star Trek: Nemesis. When work on Picard Season 2 started unfolding, Spiner’s contract stipulated that he wouldn’t reprise Data again. In the actor’s words:

So we won’t be seeing Data in Star Trek: Picard Season 2, but Brent Spiner is keeping busy enough with Adam Soong’s narrative arc. Let’s also not forget that Picard Season 3 has already been shot and is set to become available to Paramount+ subscribers in 2023. Earlier this week, it was announced that Spiner is among the many Star Trek: The Next Generation vets who will be joining Patrick Stewart in Picard’s final season. Here’s what Spiner had to say about that upcoming reunion:

It remains to be seen who Brent Spiner will play in Star Trek: Picard Season 3. My best guess is he’ll reprise Altan Soong once the main protagonists make it back to the 25th century (although we may be losing a major character beforehand), but maybe the actor changed his mind and was also willing to play Data one last time… truly! Regardless, Spiner will be sticking around Picard, and as far as the near future goes, Adam Soong is still allied with Q, who has altered the timeline for reasons still unclear, and has looped Soong into his machinations with the promise of permanently curing Kore.

New episodes of Star Trek: Picard drop Thursdays on Paramount+. Our 2022 TV schedule lays out what else is currently airing/streaming, and keep checking back with CinemaBlend for updates on upcoming Star Trek TV shows and movies.

Although Patrick Stewart’s Jean-Luc Picard has been primarily accompanied by newcomers during the events of Star Trek: Picard, there have been a handful of familiar faces from this sci-fi franchise who’ve come along for the ride. Along with “several glasses of champagne” paving the way for Jeri Ryan to reprise Seven of Nine from Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: The Next Generation vets Brent Spiner, Jonathan Frakes, Marina Sirtis, John de Lancie and Whoopi Goldberg have also popped up here and there. Well, get ready, because Picard Season 3 is gearing up for the biggest Next Generation reunion yet, including LeVar Burton coming in.

As a result of Star Trek: Picard Seasons 2 and 3 shooting back-to-back, Season 3 finished filming last month and is set to premiere sometime in early 2023 for people with a Paramount+ subscription. While it’ll presumably be a while until we learn the plot of what will be Picard’s final season, Paramount+ has announced that LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner will all be appearing. Watch the announcement video below.

Throw in John de Lancie having already been confirmed to reprise Q, and that’s eight Star Trek: The Next Generation actors accompanying Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Picard Season 3.  The only Next Generation mainstays missing are Denise Crosby, Diana Muldaur and Will Wheaton, but given that Crosby’s chief character, Tasha Yar, died back in The Next Generation Season 1, Muldaur only appeared as Dr. Katherine Pulaski in Season 2, and Wheaton doesn’t act as much anymore, their absences makes sense. I’m still hoping Wheaton might be able to make a cameo as Wesley Crusher, but if that doesn’t pan out, at least we can likely count on him interviewing most, if not all of his returning Next Generation castmates on the Ready Room aftershow. Also, if we get more of Whoopi Goldberg’s Guinan, we could end up getting 10 Next Generation faces in Picard Season 3 total!

It is worth noting that although LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner will appear in Star Trek: Picard Season 3, don’t expect to see all of their Next Generation characters. Remember, Brent Spiner’s Data died in Star Trek: Nemesis, and in the Picard Season 1 finale, Jean-Luc Picard encountered a copy of Data’s consciousness with memories up until the original Data sacrificed himself in the final Next Generation movie. This Data copy requested that Patrick Stewart’s character terminate him, so unless there’s one final surprise way to loop Data back into Picard before the show’s over, expect Spiner to appear as a member of the Soong family, like Altan Inigo Soong, the son of Noonian Soong, Data’s creator.

As for how the rest of the Star Trek: The Next Generation gang fits into the Star Trek: Picard Season 3 picture, going off the brief footage screened in the announcement video, we know at the very least that Jean-Luc Picard and Jonathan Frakes’ William Riker will team up one last time. Both Riker and Marina Sirtis’ Deanna Troi didn’t hesitate to offer Picard and Isa Briones’ Soji Asha a place to lie low in Season 1’s “Nepenthe,” and Riker returned in the Season 1 finale to help the main characters out of a jam, so naturally he’d be ready to fight alongside his former captain again. Fingers crossed all the returning Next Generation have meaningful roles to play in Picard Season 3, especially Worf. The Klingon may be older, but that doesn’t mean he’s incapable of tearing into any enemies that get in his way.

For now though, we still have the latter half of Star Trek: Picard Season 2, with the events of last week’s episode, “Fly Me to the Moon,” possibly strengthening a fan theory about Agnes Jurati that’s been floating around, as well as being packed with First Contact references. New Picard episodes drop Thursdays on Paramount+, and you can keep track of what else is currently airing by scanning through the 2022 TV schedule.

Star Trek: Picard’s Season 2 premiere date is still months out, but that hasn’t stopped its stars from giving fans slight hints regarding what’s in store when new episodes arrive. With the role of Data now in the past, Trek veteran Brent Spiner recently revealed the an interesting glimmer of a details about the new character he'll be playing in the season, and apparently, it was a new experience for everyone.

Brent Spiner is currently promoting his new book, the "mem-noir" titled Fan Fiction, and when speaking to Inverse, he revealed some details about his upcoming stint on Star Trek: Picard Season 2. He confirmed to that he’s playing a new character, and not just one that’s new to Picard.

The last part of Brent Spiner’s response is huge, considering he’s played a sizable number of characters in the Star Trek franchise. I doubt any fans truly expected him to return as Data (unless they saw John de Lancie’s Cameo comments) given the character’s “death” in Picard Season 1. Now we know he'll be playing a member of the infamous Soong family instead, though not one we’ve ever seen him play before. 

We know that Star Trek: Picard will send Jean-Luc and his crew back to the 21st century. Brent Spiner is Star Trek’s go-to for portraying members of the Soong family, though if he’s appearing in the 21st century, that’ll be the oldest Soong we’ve seen to date. Ultimately, this ancestor would be a descendant of the great Noonien Soong, who became the world’s foremost robotics scientist and creator of Soong-type Androids. 

It’s interesting that Brent Spiner can’t talk too much about his character, considering he’s already revealed what could be the most interesting element. Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard also featured Spiner as a member of the Soong family, though it’s fair to say there wasn’t much more to the character than that. Could Spiner be tight-lipped about this upcoming portrayal because it’s more substantive than just another member of the Soong family tree?

Another possibility is that Brent Spiner’s character won’t appear in the 21st century at all, and could be another unknown Android. We know Q meddles with the timeline in Star Trek: Picard Season 2,  so perhaps in a hypothetical other-timeline, Noonien Soong created an Android other than Data, Lore, and B-4. I’d say it’s possible, assuming Star Trek considers the Android creations of Soong a part of his family. I’d love to see Spiner play another evil Android like Lore, but provided the character is interesting in general, I’m honestly down for anything. I just want to see the new season already!

Star Trek: Picard Season 2 premieres on Paramount+ in February of 2022. Fans can catch up on Season 1 now or get their fill of Trek with the litany of titles available on the service, while also catching up on all the upcoming 2021 Fall TV series yet to premiere.

The Star Trek franchise is going strong on the small screen, with multiple series running on CBS All Access, and new ones already in development. However, the popular franchise is not doing nearly as well on the big screen. Following the three films of the "reboot" series, which saw new actors take on the roles of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the rest, nobody is quite sure what's next for the films, though several ideas have been floated. It seems certain that there will be new Star Trek films at some point, we just don't know what they'll be about, but Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Brent Spiner thinks that eventually we'll see a reboot version of his series as well.

Speaking with SyFy Wire, Brent Spiner says that he's been a fan of the recent J.J. Abrams produced trilogy of films, and he expects that, at some point down the line, TNG will get the same treatment. According to Spiner...

While we haven't heard any rumblings of a TNG reboot among the conversations regarding the next Star Trek movie, it's certainly not a crazy idea. TNG was an incredibly popular series, it lasted a lot longer than the original series did, and the characters are so popular that Patrick Stewart is now playing Jean-Luc Picard again in one of those successful CBS All Access series.

And one could easily justify a Next Generation reboot storyline as an offshoot of the most recent movies. In the same way that the events of 2009's Star Trek resulted in an alternate timeline for those new versions of the characters to inhabit, one assumes that several decades later, there are new versions of the Next Generation cast, perhaps slightly alternated by the events of the new timeline.

Of course, this would mean that somebody other than Brent Spiner would need to play Data. The actor admits he might hold a bit of ill will toward whoever took over the part, but that wouldn't stop him from seeing whatever movie they made from the idea. Spiner continues...

On the one hand, it will hard to ever see other actors in the roles of Picard, Data, Geordi, and Dr. Crusher. But at the same time, Christ Pine and company did bring something fun and new to their classic characters, and new actors could do the same with TNG. Brent Spiner is probably right. A reboot probably will happen eventually. And it could even be good.

Space may be the final frontier, but for the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation, it was the beginning of several long and prosperous careers. Of course, I am not counting Sir Patrick Stewart, who had previously found success as a Shakespearean actor on the stage and screen, or LeVar Burton, who had already acquired Emmy-nominated fame as the star of Roots in 1977. Yet, the acclaimed sci-fi TV hit would remain a defining era of their working lives, not only for those aforementioned esteemed performers, but their gifted co-stars as well.

Once again coming from the mind of creator Gene Roddenberry, the Emmy-winning cultural landmark chronicled the continuing adventures of Starfleet, but with a new crew aboard a new starship (also dubbed the Enterprise) and set nearly a century after the exploratory mission led by Captain James T. Kirk. The sequel series was, in fact, so successful (lasting seven seasons, from 1987 to 1994) that it would inspire a civil war among the most loyal of Trekkies regarding which iteration of Star Trek is superior: The Next Generation or William Shatner and TOS company’s run in the late 1960s.

Well, unless you are someone who prefers J.J. Abrams’ cinematic updates, we may never see the end of that debate, which is at least less combative than the fight between Trekkies and Star Wars fans (or Star Wars fans and Star Wars fans, even). Nevertheless, one thing that is for certain is how the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation have all since been cemented as pop culture icons, as the following careers prove. Let’s engage in a deeper dive into their current whereabouts, starting with one whose journey to go where no one has gone before is not yet over.

Patrick Stewart (Capt. Jean-Luc Picard)

Succeeding in the captain’s chair on Star Trek: The Next Generation skyrocketed the theatre-trained Patrick Stewart into the mainstream, and the hearts of sci-fi fans everywhere. That appreciation would only increase when he was cast as Professor Charles Xavier in the first of seven X-Men films. In addition to working often with fellow Star Trek vet Seth MacFarlane, playing a neo-Nazi in Green Room, and supposedly poking fun at the Star Wars vs. Star Trek debate in an Uber Eats ad opposite Mark Hamill, the 80-year-old, knighted Englishman has also returned to the role of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard, which has been greenlit for Season 2 on CBS All Access at some point in near-ish the future.

Jonathan Frakes (Cmdr. William Riker)

Patrick Stewart’s spin-off has already brought back a few other series veterans, such as Jonathan Frakes. The actor/director followed his tenure as William Riker with more TV roles (such as voicing a Gargoyles villain and showing up as Riker many more times), and directing films like Clockstoppers, and even a few of the Star Trek movies that he also appeared in. The 68-year-old still acts (most recently on the Nickelodeon sci-fi series The Astronauts), and is a prolific TV director whose credits include episodes of NCIS, The Orville, and many Trek spin-offs, including TNG and the recently announced upcoming prequel series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Brent Spiner (Lt. Cmdr. Data)

Despite his previous claims that he never wanted to reprise the character, Star Trek: Picard also saw Brent Spiner’s return as the Soong-type android Data - his best known role and the first of many notable sci-fi and fantasy projects. These include Independence Day and its 2016 sequel, Robert Kirkman’s horror series Outcast, and even the animated Star Wars: Rebels series (which you might want to keep quiet about around some TNG fans). The 71-year-old also had a recurring role on Patrick Stewart’s Starz comedy Blunt Talk, has voiced several comic book characters (most recently Riddler on Justice League Action), and played a veteran police detective on Penny Dreadful: City of Angels in 2020.

LeVar Burton (Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge)

This multi-talented Emmy-nominee has playing Geordi La Forge on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Kunta Kinte on the groundbreaking miniseries Roots, Kwame on Captain Planet and the Planeteers, and hosting Reading Rainbow as his claims to fame. Outside of TV directing and executive producing a Roots remake in 2016, LeVar Burton is best known lately for playing himself to hilarious effect on shows like Community and The Big Bang Theory. And, in addition to fans demanding a Star Trek: Picard cameo, others have been pulling for him to succeed Alex Trebek as the new host of Jeopardy!

Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi)

Fans did not have to demand a Star Trek: Picard appearance from Marina Sirtis, who also reprised Deanna Troi on the animated Star Trek: Lower Decks in 2020. Sirtis payed homage to her Star Trek: The Next Generation days the previous year in a cameo on The Orville, and even earlier by voicing the Enterprise on the fan-made, 1960s-inspired spin-off, Star Trek Continues. The 65-year-old British actress is also starring in the upcoming London-set crime thriller The Benzoians with Vinnie Jones, and is one of the four female Star Trek veterans appearing in the crowdfunded series about New Orleans’ red-light district called Storyville.

Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf)

Unless you count his Ted 2 character’s convention cosplay choice, Michael Dorn still has yet to reprise his Klingon character, Worf, since 2002’s Star Trek: Nemesis - not that he really needs to, though. The 68-year-old Texan already has more geektastic credits under his belt than most actors can even dream of with several voice roles, including video games like Mass Effect 2, an uncredited recurring spot as Prometheus on Arrow, and the upcoming Amazon Prime original animated series Invincible, based on a comic book by Robert Kirkman.

Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher)

If you really want to get technical, Michael Dorn last played Worf in a Family Guy video game, which was also the last time Gates McFadden played the Enterprise-D’s chief medical officer, Beverly Crusher. Much of the 71-year-old actress’ work since Star Trek: The Next Generation has been smaller recurring roles and guest appearances on TV shows like NCIS, or the legal dramedy Franklin & Bash. But, she also revisited her legacy as Beverly by acting as narrator (and one of the subjects) of the third installment of the documentary franchise, That Guy.. Who Was in That Thing, which focuses on lesser-known Star Trek stars.

Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher)

Playing Beverly Crusher’s teenage son Wesley was Wil Wheaton, who joined the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation after rising to fame in Stand By Me, and going on to a steady career that would later consist primarily of voice acting, such as playing Aqualad on Teen Titans and Teen Titans GO! More recently, he played himself in 17 episodes of The Big Bang Theory as Sheldon’s on-and-off nemesis, appeared on the CW’s Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover event, and currently hosts the Star Trek after-show The Ready Room.

Colm Meaney (Chief Miles O’Brien)

Irish actor Colm Meaney technically played three characters on Star Trek: The Next Generation, but Miles O’Brien was the only one with a name, and would go on to have a more prominent role on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was during that time when he also appeared in the 1997 actioner Con Air, and much later landed a starring role on AMC’s Hell on Wheels opposite future Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds star, Anson Mount. The Gangs of London actor has a number of film projects currently in post-production, such as Ireland-set horror flick The Little People and the crime thriller Confession, with True Blood and fellow UK-based actor Stephen Moyer.

Whoopi Goldberg (Guinan)

With an Oscar nomination for The Color Purple and worldwide success as a comedian already under her belt, Whoopi Goldberg joined the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation in the recurring role of clairvoyant bartender Guinan, whom she would reprise thrice more in two movies and the Family Guy: The Quest for Stuff video game. The Academy Award winner is busy these days as a regular co-host of The View, since 2007, and plays yet another all-knowing figure on CBS All Access’ new miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand. She's also preparing to star in a third installment of the Sister Act franchise for Disney+.

Majel Barrett (Enterprise Computer Voice)

Fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation will likely recognize the face of Majel Barrett as Lwaxana Troi (mother to Deanna), whom she would play again on DS9, but most will definitely recognize her as the voice of the ship's computer - not just in that series, but in several video games and every small screen and big screen spin-off until her death. That being said, a fan of the original Star Trek series should surely recognize the actress as Nurse Christine Chapel, as well as the wife of the franchise’s original creator, Gene Roddenberry. Barrett would also play the computer in J.J. Abrams’ 2009 update, which, sadly, was released one year after her death from Leukemia at the age of 76.

What do you think? With all of the known recordings of Majel Barrett’s unmistakable voice available in stock, should the franchise try to bring the late Mrs. Roddenberry back to voice Starfleet computers at least once more? Let us know if you think they should make it so in the comments, and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on past and present actors in the Star Trek universe, as well as even more insight into the current whereabouts of your favorite celebrities, here on CinemaBlend.

Star Trek fans were sent into excitement-overdrive when it was announced that Brent Spiner would reprise his role as Data for Star Trek: Picard. It was a return that culminated in a highly emotional scene between Data and Picard, which fans are probably still recovering from. Now thanks to Spiner, they can now enjoy quite a bit of levity with a hilarious new video.

As fans know, Data is well-known for his reserved manner, a trademark that makes Brent Spiner’s sidesplitting video singing about how awesome he is such an A+ effort. Why? Because it showcases how talented Spiner is (in case you were somehow unaware). The video starts out as one of those famous video calls celebrities have been using for interviews before it turns into this:

From a “video interview” to Brent Spiner singing with gleeful abandon over the exciting state of his career, this video has it all. How can you not love Spiner celebrating his career resurgence with a tune punctuated with humorous lyrics that point out his current windfall?

As mentioned in the video, Spiner has been busy outside of Star Trek. He also has a role on the Penny Dreadful spinoff, City of Angels, which recently premiered. In recent years, Brent Spiner has also had roles on Supergirl and The Blacklist. Still, his time on Star Trek has cemented a place for him within Trekkie hearts for years to come. Although, it's still unclear if the actor will actually return to the franchise again following his role in Picard.

Brent Spiner has said that he is not against returning to the Star Trek franchise in the future, but he has a condition. Even though Spiner doesn't think doing it again would fall into the realm of realism, fans would arguably look past that point for Spiner and Data’s sake. As Spiner even says himself in his video, he is awesome.

At least recent world events have not robbed Brent Spiner of his sense of humor or his ability to create content. Spiner joins his Star Trek: The Next Generation co-star, Jonathan Frakes, in supplying the fandom with fun tidbits as of late.

The good news for Brent Spiner fans is that he has found a way to stay busy and, hopefully, he'll continue to do so. This funny video shouldn't be lost on anyone, as it has already amassed over a quarter million views! Now, fans will just have to wait and see what Spiner gets up to next. And with any luck, that may just be another venture into the Star Trek universe.

Star Trek: Picard (featuring Brent Spiner’s Data) is currently streaming on CBS All Access. While you wait for Season 2 to arrive, check out this summer’s premieres.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Season 1. Read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Picard wasn't just an opportunity for fans to get more adventures with beloved characters they grew up with, it was also an opportunity for those actors to get back into roles they hadn't reprised in a long time. Such was the case with Brent Spiner, who played two characters in Season 1 and would be open to coming back in Season 2 for future episodes. That is, of course, unless the show wants him to play Data.

The actor recently spoke to TV Guide about his time reprising Data on Star Trek: Picard, as well as having to say goodbye to the character yet again. It turns out Spiner had no issue saying goodbye to the character (as he had done before in Star Trek: Nemesis), but mainly because he knew Data was only a role he could convincingly play for so long:

As much as Star Trek fans may have wanted Brent Spiner to play Data forever, people age and Synths (Jean-Luc Picard's Synth golem aside) don't. Spiner had no illusions that he would be able to play the character forever and mentioned he thought the reason he pulled it off in Star Trek: Picard was because Data had so little screen time.

If Brent Spiner is asked to return to Star Trek: Picard, it's assumed it won't be to play Data. Season 1 concluded the character's arc when the Commander had the last part of his consciousness erased from existence, giving him the true human experience of death. That being said, Spiner can still return to the CBS All Access original to play Dr. Alton Soong. With Soong being a character that can age naturally, Spiner has no qualms with appearing as that character again:

Playing multiple members of the Soong family is a dream Brent Spiner is already living. Spiner played Arik Soong in Star Trek: Enterprise, Dr. Noonian Soong in Star Trek: The Next Generation, and Noonian's androids and real son Data, Lore, B4, and Alton.

It's a badge Brent Spiner wears with pride, and he hopes he can continue to play more members of the Soong family as they come along. After all, for all the Soong's he's played, there are still mountains to climb in terms of showing his acting range:

There's a chance for that to happen in Star Trek: Picard Season 2, though I'm not entirely sure Alex Kurtzman or others will make it a priority. They still have other former Star Trek: The Next Generation cast to work into the story and hopefully will be able to before the end of the series.

Star Trek: Picard Season 1 is currently available to stream on CBS All Access, which can be accessed for free with a special code. Continue to stick with CinemaBlend for more on the world of Star Trek and for the latest news happening in television and movies.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard's Season 1 finale. Read at your own risk!

Star Trek: Picard had a pretty wild finale that made massive changes that will impact the franchise's future, but it also closed the door on stories that hadn't truly reached satisfying conclusions. Specifically, the CBS All Access spinoff set the stage for a true reunion between Jean-Luc Picard and Data, who had not spoken since Data sacrificed his life in Star Trek: Nemesis.

The two beloved characters had a chance to share all their unresolved feelings with one another, and Data was able to ask Picard for one final favor. He wished for the last remaining bit of his consciousness to be removed from existence, so that he could experience one thing that's truly human, a finite life. Patrick Stewart spoke to THR about the scene, and what it meant to shoot such an emotional wrap-up with longtime co-star Brent Spiner.

Filming the scene meant so much to Patrick Stewart that he requested to go home with the chair Jean-Luc Picard sat in during his goodbye to Data. Stewart said he wanted the chair because of the moment's significance, but also joked that it was pretty comfortable, too. The chair is indeed now sitting in Stewart's home in Oxfordshire, provided he brings it back to set should Star Trek: Picard need it in the future.

Shooting Data's scene was about more than the emotional payout however, it was about concluding an arc for Data that was open-ended. Akiva Goldsman told THR the purpose of the scene was a sequel to the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, and gave the character of Data a conclusive arc.

Data "died," and in a stranger twist, Jean-Luc Picard's mind was transferred into a Synth golem. Picard won't have all the augments that a usual Synth would, but he also won't have to worry about that debilitating brain illness, and will presumably live out the rest of his days in good health. There's built-in tech that will ensure he dies around the same time he would without any major illness, so Picard is feasibly guaranteed not doomed to repeat Data's troubled existence in the years after Star Trek: Nemesis.

Star Trek: Picard is already green-lit for Season 2, and audiences can now stream the entire season on CBS All Access for free for the foreseeable future. Stick with CinemaBlend in the meantime for updates on the franchise, and for the latest news happening in television and movies.

Space. The final frontier. The voyages of the Starship Enterprise continue in spirit with the newest sci-fi series, Star Trek: Picard, which will premiere in just a few short months. It'll serve as Patrick Stewart's unexpected return to the sci-fi franchise, and it'll hopefully be both a fitting, formidable return for the beloved captain. What do we know about the Star Trek series, though, particularly as it's expected to connect the tissues of several hit shows?

With the show practically weeks away from its much-anticipated premiere, we do know a bit about Star Trek: Picard and the rousing return it'll provide to the long-running legacy of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Let's get into a rundown of what Star Trek fans can expect from this streaming program!

Are There Any Trailers For Star Trek: Picard?

During this year's San Diego Comic Con, viewers got their first glimpse at Star Trek: Picard, which was set to premiere roughly six months later. This first trailer allowed fans to get a glimpse at what was considered a more grounded, contemplative show centered on the familiar character. It would be a little different from Star Trek: The Next Generation, yet this teaser was also a chance to remind people of what they loved about Jean-Luc Picard and see the potential in this new streaming series.

It was in early October that viewers got a second trailer (which you can see above). This one showcased some of the other cast members as well, while also providing a broader, more expansive look at the show, thus promising a number of delightful appearances for many long time Star Trek fans.

When Will Star Trek: Picard Premiere?

As the second trailer was making waves around the web, it was confirmed that Star Trek: Picard would premiere on CBS All Access on January 23rd, 2020. This premiere date isn't in line with Star Trek: The Next Generation, but it does follow the rollout of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, which made its debut in January of this year. The winter release date should hopefully land the series in a nice little window between the crowded return of fall shows and the equally bustling spring television line-up. Hopefully, there will be some wiggle room that will allow this new character study series to find its own little rhythm and rhyme with audiences.

What Is The Premise Of Star Trek: Picard?

In Star Trek: Picard, we follow our title character, played once again by Patrick Stewart, a full 20 years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, and find him still grieving the loss of his friend, Data (Brent Spiner). The intention with this series is to provide more of a "real world" feeling to the series, giving it a bit of an edge while never straying entirely far from what people can expect from these popular characters.

It's expected to be quite different from what we'd normally see in a traditional Star Trek series, however, and it's safe to assume that the creators will make great use of the possibilities provided by its streaming service home. It's also reported to show how the destruction of Romulus in Star Trek (2009) has affected our title character.

That last development is certainly an intriguing one, as it'll be the first time that the new Star Trek blockbusters and the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation will correlate, with the new show having a feeling that combines TNG with Star Trek: Discovery. It's unclear how exactly it'll work. But, we know that the character will have a different future than what viewers saw in the flash-forwards during the series finale of TNG, titled "All Good Things." The creators of the show have admitted outright that this series will be both similar and different to what came before.

Who Is The Creator Of Star Trek: Picard?

Star Trek: Picard is created by Alex Kurtzman, who has served as a writer and producer for Star Trek for a little over ten years running. Kurtzman was first involved when he served as a screenwriter / executive producer on Star Trek (2009) alongside Roberto Orci. He also co-wrote and produced Star Trek Into Darkness and spearheaded Star Trek: Discovery as the creator with Bryan Fuller. Picard is part of his five-year overall deal with CBS Television Studios to expand the popular property into several shows following Discovery. Surely, for many Star Trek fans, Picard is the type of show they were never expecting to see.

While Patrick Stewart was initially steadfast in his reasoning that he was done playing the character, he was intrigued by the ideas presented by Alex Kurtzman, Akiva Goldsman, and Kristen Beyer. They were initially interested in having Stewart possibly reprise his character in one of their Star Trek: Short Treks episodes, but the conversation bloomed into the writers producing an outline alongside acclaimed novelist Michael Chabon. In an interview, Kurtzman has gone on to describe Picard as "a more psychological show, a character study about this man in his emeritus years." His broad intention for the series is to have the character find his way back to Gene Roddenberry's original optimistic visions, while also reflecting our times now.

Who Will Write Star Trek: Picard?

Currently, the full writing team behind Star Trek: Picard hasn't been 100 percent revealed, though we know that Alex Kurtzman and Michael Chabon are each credited with an episode, according to IMDB. Akiva Goldsman and Kristen Beyer, as mentioned earlier, were also involved in the show's core concept, but whether or not they're involved with the writing of the actual episodes themselves is currently left unclear. Though it would, obviously, make sense if they were attached. More details about the writers specifically involved with each episode is likely to be announced and confirmed in the weeks leading up to Picard's anticipated release.

Where Will Picard Take Place In The Star Trek Timeline?

Naturally, Star Trek: Picard is an extension of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the movies that followed for the cast. But, this show will deal with an important event from the rebooted Star Trek, which took place in 2379. This means that Picard will pick up in 2399. Even still, it'll be curious to see how the destruction of the Romulan empire has affected our former space captain. As the show premieres next year, it will give viewers a better reflection of how it wishes to present itself, but it should be noted that it's expected to follow what we know while also providing exciting new avenues.

How Many Episodes Are In Star Trek: Picard Season 1?

It has been confirmed that Star Trek: Picard will have a ten episode first season. This is notably more condensed than Star Trek: Discovery, which had a 15 episode first season and a 14 episode second season. It's also notably much shorter than your average season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which ran between 22 to 26 episodes per season. Given the more isolated, contained focus of the story, though, it makes sense that this newest series would want to narrow down the number of episodes per season, allowing each one to have more bang for the buck.

Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart)

Jean-Luc Picard, former Starfleet captain and admiral, is back again. After the traumatic death of Data, along with the destruction of the Romulan empire and leading the largest rescue armada ever seen, Picard left Starfleet at the height of his career. He retired to the family winery to live a much more simple, introspective life away from everything — until a young woman in need convinces him that it's time to return to work with the Federation. Although Picard was once one of the most celebrated captains of the 24th century, he now finds himself with a new mission so that he can do what he feels is right.

Data (Brent Spiner)

Data served as the second officer and chief operations officer aboard both the Enterprise D and E. He was capable of great courage and selflessness, as seen when he sacrificed himself in order to save his crewmates, and the universe at large, in Star Trek: Nemesis. But, it appears that Jean-Luc Picard is still haunted by his crew member's sacrifice, as the droid is seen in the trailer providing a paintbrush to Picard and telling him that it's time to finish his picture. It was confirmed back in Comic-Con in July that Data would be back in some capacity. Even still, this brief but lovely glimpse at Brent Spiner reprising his character was very welcomed.

Will Riker (Jonathan Frakes) And Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis)

In addition to Patrick Stewart and Brent Spiner reprising their respective roles from Star Trek: The Next Generation, there are also at least two other favorites from the sci-fi series who are making their comebacks in Season 1. Specifically, Jonathan Frakes' Riker and Marina Sirtis' Deanna Troi are both returning for Picard. Frakes, in particular, was already confirmed to be involved with the new adventure as a director of at least a couple of episodes. The latest trailer shows fans Riker and Troi, when Picard goes to visit them at home, so you can be sure that this surprise made folks happy.

Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan)

In addition to the characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation who will be appearing on Star Trek: Picard, there is also a favorite from Star Trek: Voyager who has been confirmed to star in the new CBS All Access program. That would be Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), a former Borg who joined the Federation starship Voyager. She was intended to be the Spock to Voyager's Captain Kathryn Janeway, though she developed into an intriguing and memorable presence of her own throughout the show.

Seven's involvement in Star Trek: Picard is certainly a fascinating development, especially when you consider Picard's checkered history (to say the very least) with the Borg — as detailed in both TNG and in Star Trek: First Contact. Not to mention the fact that we see a Borg ship in the most recent trailer, and that Jonathan Del Arco, who played the freed Borg, Hugh, in TNG is scheduled to appear as someone in Picard. So, it looks like Picard's most fearsome foes will be big players in the story.

What New Characters Will Be On Star Trek: Picard?

In addition to all the characters named above, there are a bunch of fresh new faces joining the Star Trek series. While Picard was designed to be more of an introspective character study based on the eventful final years of Captain Jean-Luc Picard, the streaming series will also feature Santiago Cabrera as Cristobal "Chris" Rios, Michelle Hurd as Raffi Musiker, Evan Evagora as Elnor, Alison Pill as Dr. Agnes Jurati, Harry Treadaway as Narek, and Isa Briones as Dahj. Details about their respective characters will be revealed closer to the show's premiere date, but it is definitely a solid cast.

Will Worf Appear On Star Trek: Picard?

Bad news for fans of Worf (which should, hopefully, be a good many of you). It has been revealed that Worf is not expected to appear in the first season of Star Trek: Picard. There had been rumors that the character would make an appearance in the series, though. A clapboard which featured a number of signatures from different cast members had an intriguing signature that looked very similar to the one from actor Michael Dorn.

Alas, the folks at CBS claim Dorn isn't involved with this season, though it's entirely possible they're just saying this as a diversion. Here's hoping that the actor makes at least a surprise cameo. Either that, or he will be asked to join next year. Perhaps this could provide some storyline incentive for season two.

How Can You Watch Star Trek: Picard?

Star Trek: Picard will be premiering exclusively on CBS All Access. The show will make its debut on January 23, and every episode will be found on the streaming service. While it might be an inconvenience for some folks, there is a good chance that a lot of Star Trek fans already have the service in order to watch Star Trek: Discovery. If not, this show might finally give them the incentive to buckle down and get yet another new streaming service.

This is what we know about Star Trek: Picard so far, but there are certainly more details to follow. Be sure to stay tuned here for the latest information about this new Star Trek series and a whole lot more.

The world recently learned that Star Trek: Picard will feature a lot more classic Trek characters than some expected would make an appearance, and that Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard will rub shoulders with former Star Trek: The Next Generation actors. This includes Marina Sirtis, frequent Star Trek director Jonathan Frakes, and Brent Spiner who played the lovable android Data. Data was spotted very briefly and in pieces during the trailer, but is that all fans will see of him?

Well Star Trek fans, Brent Spiner has some good and bad news regarding Data's role in Star Trek: Picard. Spiner appeared at the Las Vegas Star Trek convention not long after his character was seen in the trailer, and shared some information with media on just how much fans can expect to see him.

Brett Spiner elaborated on how Data will appear in Star Trek: Picard, according to Las Vegas Review-Journal, saying Data is a story point in the season as well. In the trailer, Jean-Luc Picard was seen to be in the possession of a disassembled Data, and talked about the incident in which Data sacrificed his life to save Picard in Star Trek: Nemesis. Does Picard have some guilt over Data's sacrifice, and will that play a factor in this upcoming adventure?

Unfortunately, Brent Spiner didn't give a ton of detail beyond his first quote. His confirmation that "Data" appears feels worth mentioning, and is perhaps confirmation he may be rebuilt or have scenes in flashbacks throughout Season 1 of Star Trek: Picard. Spiner added that Data is not a major character of the series, however, so don't expect for him to get a ton of screen time.

Brent Spiner’s quote does give fans some answers they've wanted, but there are some lingering questions to address. For example, Data implanted his core memories into his “brother” B-4, who began to act more like Data after the actual Data was destroyed. We’re not sure if Star Trek: Picard will reference B-4, but with Data’s death in Star Trek: Nemesis already a part of the story, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear an update on the character.

Whatever will be seen in Star Trek: Picard Season 1, it seems to have Brent Spiner’s seal of approval. While he may not appear in every episode of the series, Spiner confirmed he has read the scripts, and liked what he saw.

Brent Spiner didn’t have anything to say on whether or not he’ll have a future on the show should it get another season. That’s something he may know considering Robert Picardo has confirmed people from Star Trek: Picard reached out to him for Season 2, which is not officially confirmed. Wouldn’t it be great to see Data get rebuilt and resume his role as one of Star Trek’s best characters?

William Shatner Explains Why Star Trek Is Still So Popular

Star Trek: Picard is currently in production, and is set to premiere on CBS All Access in 2020. Stick with CinemaBlend for updates on its progress in the meantime, and for other news on what’s happening in the world of television and movies.

Well, Trekkies everywhere can rejoice! It turns out that several characters from The Next Generation will be stopping by Star Trek: Picard as we'd hoped, and there are some surprises in the choices.

San Diego Comic-Con always brings big news when it comes to science fiction and fantasy, and this year was no different. The convention played host to the cast and crew of the highly anticipated CBS All Access series Star Trek: Picard, and not only did they show off the first full trailer (after giving us a brief tease a couple of months ago) of the latest entry in a long line of Star Trek series, but they also surprised the audience by revealing who we can expect to see reprising their roles from TNG in Picard. Looks like LeVar Burton was right.

First up? This, honestly, isn't that much of a surprise, but it's good news, nonetheless. Jonathan Frakes (Commander William T. Riker) and Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi) will be hopping on board the Picard train for appearances on the show. Of course, Frakes (who will also be directing a few episodes of the freshman series) posted a tweet back in early June that many took as a hint that he'd be reprising Riker on Picard, but now we have confirmation.

Seeing as how the film Star Trek: Nemesis (which was the last time the full TNG cast had an adventure on screen) showed soon-to-be Captain Riker at the wedding reception for his marriage to his longtime love Deanna Troi, it makes sense that they would both be seen on Picard. Unfortunately, fans didn't get to see Frakes or Sirtis show up on stage, but that's not the case for the next two stars from The Next Generation.

Do not adjust your screens, folks. You are, in fact, looking at Brent Spiner, who appears to be reprising his role as Commander Data from this glimpse of him we see in the Star Trek: Picard trailer. I say that he "appears to be reprising his role" because the panel at Comic-Con only confirmed that Spiner will be on the show, not that we'd see him as Data again. Well, that, and the fact that Data died saving his crewmates at the end of Nemesis, so it's possible that Spiner could appear as Data's brother, B-4, or even show up as both characters.

Here are where two truly big surprises came in during the Comic-Con panel. One actor who appeared on stage and was also a veteran of The Next Generation was Jonathan Del Arco. Who?, you might be asking. Well, correct sound but wrong name. Del Arco played (get ready for it) the Borg, Hugh, all those years ago, and will be back for Picard.

The addition of Hugh (who may or may not be the unplugged Borg we saw in the trailer, and is pictured above) comes as a special surprise because he was only seen in three episodes of TNG. But, the character is iconic, because he was a Borg who eventually regained a sense of individuality and managed to maintain it. Instead of staying with the Enterprise crew, he went back to the crash site where they'd found him, knowing that the Borg would never stop looking for him and he'd put the Enterprise in jeopardy.

Again, Del Arco wasn't confirmed as Hugh, but it would seem to be a shame to have a sympathetic Borg who's still alive in the Star Trek timeline and not bring that specific character back for Picard, especially considering how those assimilating assholes have impacted Picard's life.

And now we come to the biggest surprise of the panel, when it was announced that Jeri Ryan, who starred on Star Trek: Voyager as the former Borg Seven of Nine, would be appearing on Picard, as well. Because we can see her in the trailer with Seven of Nine's distinctive Borg facial plate, there's really no doubt that Ryan will be showing up as Seven, which is surprising because she never appeared on TNG or in any of the movies led by that cast.

As you can see, there will be a lot of fan-favorite old faces showing up on Star Trek: Picard to join Patrick Stewart and the new cast as he continues Picard's adventures. We don't know for sure how much we'll see of each of these actors, or how important their parts will be, but it seems like Picard is shaping up to be quite the ride.

Star Trek: Picard will hit CBS All Access in early 2020, until then you can stay tuned to CinemaBlend for the latest on that show as well as everything in TV, movies and pop culture!

The cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation got together for dinner, and there is picture proof. The heartwarming image reunites the cast of the series that ran from the late 1980s and into the mid-90s. LeVar Burton, who played Geordi on The Next Generation, posted the picture on his Twitter account. Joining him in the image is Gates McFadden, Patrick Stewart, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, and Michael Dorn. See it for yourself below:

The picture has sparked hopes for a revival of Star Trek: The Next Generation, or at least an on-screen reunion. Of course, reunions between cast members are not uncommon, especially between actors that have grown close on the set of a series they starred in together. It is not entirely indicative that an on-screen reunion will take place. Plus, cast members have reunited without reprising their roles from the show they originally co-starred on together. That said, there is reason to keep hope alive.

Patrick Stewart recently signed on to reprise his role as Jean-Luc Picard, meaning the show will live on in some capacity. Unfortunately for fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation, it will not be on a revival of the series. While details on the plot of the new series are scarce, the overarching premise is known. Apparently, it has been confirmed that the upcoming show will chronicle the next chapter of Picard's life following the events of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

While the Picard-centered show will not be a revival of the series that originally brought him on-screen, it stands to reason that some of his former castmates and their characters could make an appearance. Whether or not there is an on-screen reunion between them in the near future, the picture of the cast together is sweet to see. The idea of Geordi, Beverly, Picard, Deanna, Data, and Worf sharing the screen again is an equally sweet thought.

Trekkies will have to wait and see how it all ends up shaking out. You can tell that the cast remains close, which is always a particularly positive sign that things could eventually come together regarding a reunion of some sort. While the series ended in 1994, the last feature film to be led by the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation came out 16 years ago, in 2002. So, they are due for an on-screen reunion of some sort. Let the hope continue!

A release date for Patrick Stewart's Star Trek series has not been announced yet, so stay tuned. The second season of Star Trek: Discovery is expected to arrive sometime in 2019 on CBS All Access. For the new television content that is set to bow this fall, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's fall premieres.

Supergirl has a knack for finding the perfect actors with sci-fi and/or superhero experience to tackle roles, and the show has now cast an important role with a performer that Star Trek franchise fans are sure to recognize. Brent Spiner, who debuted in the Trek universe as the android Data on The Next Generation, will appear throughout the fourth season of Supergirl. Spiner is on board is the Vice President of the United States. Here's what we know.

Brent Spiner landed the role of Vice President Baker for Supergirl Season 4. Despite holding one of the most significant offices in the United States government as VP, Baker is not a man who many would consider a likely leader. He'll need to rise to the occasion when his country comes to need him in some key ways, although it's not currently known what those ways are. He has the intelligence and political savvy to serve as a competent public official, but leadership is not something that comes naturally to him. The role is recurring, so we can count on seeing Spiner as VP Baker throughout the fourth season when it kicks off on a new night this fall.

While we can only speculate about what will force Vice President Baker to rise to the occasion in Season 4, my money is on Agent Liberty having something to do with it. The President of the United States as of the end of Season 3 was Olivia Marsdin, a.k.a. an alien posing as a human to live a normal -- if rather high-profile -- life on Earth. Lynda Carter reprised the role a couple of times after appearing in early Season 2, but there is no sign at the moment that she's returning for Season 4.

Is VP Baker's suddenly prominent role due to President Marsdin being outed as an alien to remove her from office by Agent Liberty? From what we know of Agent Liberty courtesy of the Season 4 trailer, such a move certainly sounds like something he would do, and it would explain why Baker will need to step up into an unlikely role. He is described as "Vice President," so Marsdin may not be totally removed from office if this is the case, but we'll have to wait and see. Could this be what brings Superman back into the fold?

How fantastic is it that the man playing the VP to the woman who played one of the most iconic superheroes of all time will be played by one of the most iconic actors from the Star Trek franchise? In addition to his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation in the Trek universe, Brent Spiner appeared in Trek films Generations, First Contact, Insurrection, and Nemesis. He also appeared in 1996's Independence Day as well as its 2016 sequel.

On the small screen front on top of Star Trek, Brent Spiner has appeared on The Librarians, The Blacklist, and Outcast, to name a few. Throw in the fact that he's an accomplished voice actor, and we can bet that he has the right amount of experience to make his mark on Supergirl. You can find him in action as Vice President Baker when Supergirl returns for Season 4, with the premiere airing on Sunday, October 14 at 8 p.m. ET on The CW. Our fall TV schedule can fill you in on other important dates in the coming months.

NBC's The Blacklist follows the exploits of professional criminal "Red" Reddington and FBI agent Elizabeth Keen as they hunt down the names on the Blacklist, a list of the worst of the worst the criminal underworld has to offer. Obviously, this allows for the show to have plenty of guest starring roles for a villain-of-the-week story and now the crime thriller has recruited a Star Trek alum to play a real messed up killer. Brent Spiner, otherwise known for his role as Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation, will be the next name checked off the Blacklist.

According to the good folks over at IGN, Brent Spiner will be featured on an upcoming February episode of The Blacklist. The Star Trek: The Next Generation alum won't be one of the good guys this time around. Spiner will play a Blacklister known by the nickname, The Architect. The Architect is a master criminal who offers his services for the right price. Not just a common hitman, this "meticulous Blacklister will design and execute impossible crimes for the most dangerous clients in the world." He's no dummy, so expect a real game of cat and mouse between the Architect and Elizabeth.

The episode itself will involve resident computer whiz Aram (Amir Arison) going undercover as a hacker in order to identify Spiner's villain. Seeing Aram out in the field and away from the relative safety of his desk alone should make this an entertaining episode for fans.

Fans of Spiner are well aware of his role as Data, the anatomically fully functioning android on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Data was essentially a robot that could feel human emotions and served as the second officer and chief operations officer on the Enterprise. Data attempted to increase his humanity and emotional experience throughout the series, but he could probably feel more emotions than The Architect. Spiner is also known for his role as Doctor Okun from Independence Day. He recently reprised the role in the doomed-before-it-began sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence.

Brent Spiner's episode of The Blacklist will air sometime in February. The Blacklist airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. EST on NBC. Keep checking in to CinemaBlend for all your Blacklist and TV updates, where we'll keep you updated with new information as it becomes available. To learn more about all your favorite shows and their various schedules, make sure to hop on over to our midseason premiere guide!

Certain actors abhor the thought of being pigeonholed into a specific genre or character type, but that's not the case with Brent Spiner, who spent seven years as the android Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation and then followed it by sticking pretty close to science fiction projects and the fanbase that adores him. He is far out of his comfort zone for his latest project, the Robert Kirkman-created demonic possession horror Outcast, and here's how Spiner feels about making the leap to spooky fare for his enigmatic role.

And there you have another difference between the veteran actor Brent Spiner and entertainers who have no grasp of their medium's history. Instead of offering up a generic response about how he likes to be scared, Spiner ascribes his excitement for horror to some of the greatest actors in Hollywood's storied history. Basil Rathbone went from emboldening the poor as Robin Hood to roles in films like Tales of Terror, which also starred Peter Lorre, who balanced roles in films like Casablanca with turns in the unnerving classic M and The Raven. And I could spend all day talking about how impeccable Vincent Price was during his career.

It's definitely an interesting angle to use when considering a role, and I certainly hope that Spiner's time working on Outcast makes him feel as if he's doing such genre icons justice with his own performances. He definitely comes across as extremely interested in the series, and shared an exciting hint with Vanity Fair about his identity and role within the show. Is he a demon?

As the mysterious Sidney, Spiner entered Outcast quietly and, despite not doing or saying all that much, still came across as an absolute menace to anything in his path. Could his evil-exuding performance come from years of playing someone who wasn't human, or perhaps his cameo as himself on The Big Bang Theory. Okay, that second one probably doesn't fit.

Soon to be seen on the big screen once again as Dr. Okun for Independence Day: Resurgence, Brent Spiner was also recently seen and heard on TVs everywhere for shows like The Librarians, Star Wars Rebels and the Starz comedy Blunt Talk, which reconnected him with former Star Trek: The Next Generation co-star Patrick Stewart, who retains some interesting opinions about Spiner's former role. Will he still be around when Outcast returns for Season 2?

We'll have to wait and see when the drama airs Friday nights on Cinemax.

With Star Trek: Beyond coming out soon and a new Star Trek TV show due sometime next year, Trek fans have a lot to look forward to, and have, no doubt, been looking back at some of their favorite things about the various incarnations of the franchise. Now, one important player in the history of that franchise, Brent Spiner, has revealed that he's done with the character that made him famous. But, at least he's also told us why.

Brent Spiner spoke to Yahoo Movies while promoting Independence Day: Resurgence, and told the outlet in no uncertain terms that he'd balk at taking on the role of the Starfleet android again, even if asked. And, while it might sting for fans to think of there being no Data in the future of Star Trek, Spiner's not wrong. Even in the advanced technological age that the franchise takes place in, there's still no way for androids and other synthetic life forms to actually grow old, because, you know, we wouldn't really want them to. The whole point of making sort-of people is that they don't have the same weaknesses as real people, and aging to the point where you can no longer work (even though that takes much longer during the Star Trek era) can certainly be seen as one of those weaknesses.

Data was a large part of Star Trek: The Next Generation, which aired from 1987-1994, and the four Next Generation set of Star Trek movies that were released from 1994 through 2002. The artificial intelligence was created and built by Dr. Noonian Soong, who was also played by Brent Spiner. Data was self-aware, sentient, capable of quickly computing difficult equations, extremely ethical and, um...anatomically functional. The Lieutenant Commander was a Second Officer and Science Officer aboard the Enterprise, and spent a large part of his time trying to fully understand human emotions and become more human himself.

The character was considered a spiritual successor to Leonard Nimoy's Spock in that he provided an outsider's perspective on humanity. Data was so popular that Brent Spiner frequently received love letters to Data as his fan mail. The character has gotten several tributes in song, and was even inducted into Carnegie Mellon University's Robot Hall of Fame.

I'm sure that all of Data's female fans will be sad to hear that Brent Spiner doesn't think that it'll be a good idea to return to the role. Clearly, there is no Data without Spiner in the part, but, he did tell Yahoo Movies that he'd be willing to play Dr. Soong again at some point. So, while we're waiting to see if that happens in a future Star Trek project, we can catch Spiner in Independence Day: Resurgence this weekend.

Among the many questions that still surround Independence Day: Resurgence is how the eccentric Dr. Brackish Okun is still alive. In 1996's Independence Day, it seemed that he had died after his experience with the alien in Area 51, so when it was announced that Brent Spiner would be reprising his role in the sequel, many fans were understandably confused. Despite Okun being seen in previews and clips, there was no explanation provided about his survival, but a new viral video finally confirms what some suspected: he's been in a coma for the past two decades.

The latest installment of ESD Films Presents points the spotlight on Dr. Brackish Okun (or as he's described, "Einstein with a mood ring"), calling him a genius comparable to the likes of Albert Einstein, Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking. After going over his time studying at the California Institute of Technology and being recruited by the government to work at Area 51 after graduation, the "documentary" takes us back to that fateful day in 1996: when the aliens attacked Earth. We already know how Okun contributed to Independence Day, but the video reveals is that he suffered critical injuries that left him in a coma all this time. The narrator caps off this look at Okun speculating that he may return when Earth needs him again. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

To recap for those who haven't seen Independence Day recently, Okun was analyzing the alien that Steven Hiller brought back to Area 51 when the creature, who everyone thought was dead, awoke and attacked the scientist. It subsequently took control of his mind to communicate with President Whitmore and launch a psychic attack. The soldiers at the base killed the extraterrestrial, but Okun collapsed, seemingly dead. Now we know that he's been in a coma all this time, the next question on our minds is why he's waking up right as the second alien invasion force arrives. The best guess at the moment is there were some lingering effects the alien left behind when it controlled his mind, and its brethren coming to Earth 20 years later somehow triggered those effects.

Whether the exact circumstances for his awakening in Independence Day: Resurgence, it looks like Brackish Okun will be back to his usual self in no time. One of the clips showed him with Thomas Whitmore and others observing a captured alien and understanding what it was saying, and a different clip showed him retrieving an experimental laser that he built in 1994 that he believes can cut through one of the alien ships. Even with Earth's advanced technology in 2016, Okun's will likely offer some invaluable assistance in helping defeat the new invaders. Assuming he survives the events of the sequel, learning how the world has changed while he was unconscious should keep him busy.

Independence Day: Resurgence finally hits theaters this Friday.

Independence Day: Resurgence is the long-awaited sequel to the 1996 blockbuster Independence Day. As such, some of the cast from the original movie is returning for the second go around like Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and Vivica A. Fox. While fans were disappointed that Will Smith opted not to return – and so, his character was killed off in some promotional material – fans were probably more curious about why Brent Spiner, who's character actually died, was the one coming back.

Brent Spiner’s character in the original film, Dr. Okun, was that hippie looking mad scientist from Area 51 who had been performing an autopsy on a crash-landed alien. Turns out that alien isn’t so dead and it forcibly takes over Okun’s mind so he can give some death threats to Bill Pullman’s President Whitmore. The alien is shot and killed, and the last we see of Okun is his motionless body on the floor while a military man checks his pulse. It’s pretty safe to assume the ordeal killed the scientist, but his appearance 20 years later in a sequel proves otherwise.

Brent Spiner has the answers for how exactly his character lived his up close and personal encounter of the third kind. While speaking with Yahoo Movies, Spiner revealed how exactly his character survived and it’s a surprisingly simple explanation.

That’s about as simple an explanation for resurrection as it gets. You would think alien blood (a popular resurrection method in sci-fi) would have something to do with it, but no, he just never died at all. Further elaborating in the interview, Brent Spiner says that originally they filmed the officer who checks Okun say, "he’s dead", but director Roland Emmerich opted not to use the line in the final edit, leaving Spiner to appear in more sequels. While I can’t imagine anyone thought the sequel would happen 20 years later, it turned out to be a good decision for Spiner.

Independence Day: Resurgence takes place years after the invasion that united the people of earth. Having incorporated the alien technology with their own, humans thought that they’d be ready if the aliens should ever return. They were wrong.

Independence Day: Resurgence stars Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Liam Hemsworth, William Fichtner, Brent Spiner, Sela Ward, Judd Hirsch, and Maika Monroe. The film will hit theaters this summer, June 24, 2016. 

Almost immediately after Independence Day became the poster child for summer blockbusters back in 1996, the studio was clamoring for a sequel, and the audience was right behind them. Yet for years after a ragtag band of politicians and military strategists saved our planet from total annihilation, no movement was made on returning to the world Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin created as their follow-up to the immensely popular Stargate. With a 3D re-release originally scheduled for 2013 being the only chance of seeing some prime ET ass being whupped, the film's legacy looked to be relegated strictly to the halls of nostalgia.

Then, in a flurry of activity that took place mostly in the past couple of years, Independence Day: Resurgence was born! The franchise was given new life, and with some serious thought into not just one, but multiple entries. For now, though, we've only got one sequel to anticipate, but already there's enough information out there to have us asking questions about how the world has changed in the 20 years after defeating those "alien assholes," and whether we'll be celebrating out Independence Day, or mourning it. Here's what we know so far about Independence Day: Resurgence, starting with the first trailer as shown below.

So what information has been released about Independence Day: Resurgence so far, and what’s been rumored about the film? Read on to find out!

The Director

In the years since Independence Day, Roland Emmerich has become a bit of an infamous figure in Hollywood. This is mostly due to his immediately following up his 1996 sci-fi blockbuster with one of the most panned films of the 1990's: his remake of Godzilla. Most recently, Emmerich was the force behind such films as The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, and White House Down - so you could debate his reputation in Hollywood as falling on either side of the spectrum. Strangely enough, Roland Emmerich waited so long to make an Independence Day sequel because he was afraid that making the film during the Bush Administration would only serve to further glorify those in power, as he felt the series was about, "a king who leads his country into a fight against an outside invader." No word yet on if the White House will yet again be destroyed, but never say never.

The Story

Twenty years after what's been universally dubbed "The War of 1996," humanity is about to be visited by another wave of alien invaders. With David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) working closely with the Earth Space Defense (ESD) organization in the decades after the first invasion, our species has adapted our own lives and defenses with reverse engineered technology from the first round of hostilities. The world has formed one massive global alliance, and peace has reigned in the ensuing ground war to clear out the straggling alien inhabitants left over since initial invasion. Throughout those years, Levinson was always convinced that the extraterrestrial forces would be back, and sure enough – those strangers from the depths of space are re-emerging in our corner of space, ready for more hostilities. Originally planned as a multi-part sequel, entitled ID Forever, the film was renamed and consolidated into one entry - Independence Day: Resurgence.

Captain Steven Hiller And His Family

After serving as a fighter pilot during the massive air campaigns waged on the alien invaders during The War of 1996, Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) was promoted to the rank of Colonel and began working with the Earth Space Defense organization. With the ESD working heavily in enriching our existing technology with that of our would-be destroyers, Col. Hiller was at the front line of testing said technologies, which lead to his untimely demise during the test flight of a hybrid fighter in 2007.

He was survived by his wife Jasmine, played once again by Vivica A. Fox in Independence Day: Resurgence, who went on to become a hospital administrator in the ensuing years after the global crisis; as well as his step-son Dylan (now played by Jessie Usher,) who looks to have joined the ESD, just like his step-dad before him. The reason for killing off Will Smith’s iconic character from the original film has something to do with an agreement not being reached between himself and the studio, and the eventuality was prepared for with two separate drafts of the script. Needless to say, Smith was not too pleased when he found out his character was killed off, but if he changes his tune for any prospective sequels, it shouldn’t be too hard to re-write him into the picture.

President Whitmore And His Family

During the events of the War of 1996, President James Whitmore became a battle tested leader, despite his critics having no faith in his ability to lead pre-invasion. Unfortunately, President Whitmore also lost his wife, and encountered an event where for a brief moment, a previously captured alien created a telepathic link between itself and the world leader. After humanity won the day, President Whitmore and his daughter, Patricia, became a part of living history. In particular, the former Commander in Chief was instrumental to the global talks that eventually created the Earth Space Defense organization.

But the past has come calling for James Whitmore, as he apparently still has a mental link with the aliens that came 20 years ago. Not much is known about what's been going on in Patricia’s life by the time Independence Day: Resurgence rolls around, but we do know that It Follows star Maika Monroe is filling the role, after a heated casting process that somehow left out the original actor to play the role - The DUFF’s Mae Whitman. Returning to play President Whitmore is Bill Pullman, who was last seen in the R-rated comedy/thriller American Ultra.

David Levinson

When The War of 1996 hit, David Levinson was nothing more than a "cable repair man," working tech for a New York service provider. His genius exceeded what was needed for such a lowly position, and it showed when he was not only the singular person to isolate the alien signal, he also pointed out that it was a countdown to an eventual attack. Sealing humanity’s victory against the alien scourge by implanting a computer virus into one of the alien control ships, Levinson’s mind saved the world.

All of this paved the way for his eventual position as the director of the Earth Space Defense organization, which gave him free reign to design the future of human technology. This was mostly done through harnessing the weapons of destruction that were once used in an attempt to wipe us out. Bringing his legendary character to live once again for Independence Day: Resurgence is Jeff Goldblum, who has recently been seen in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel and Mortdecai.

Jake Morrison

The War of 1996 took its toll on the world, leaving cities devastated and families torn apart. One such victim of the alien invasion’s devastation was Jake Morrison, former fighter pilot / hot dog flying ace. Morrison lost his parents during the first incursion into Earth’s atmosphere, leaving him to grow up an orphan who would originally pursue a career in the military. Being the show-off that he is, Jake made a call so bad that he was banished to the Earth Science Defense’s Moon Base, where he drives a space forklift known as "The Moon Tug." Jake is a new character to the line-up of Independence Day: Resurgence, and is played by action star Liam Hemsworth, who we most recently star in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part II. Not only will we get to see Jake interacting with David Levinson in a particularly tense looking sequence, but it’s also been heavily suspected that Patricia Whitmore is pretty much Jake’s love interest in the long awaited sequel.

Dr. Brakish Okun

We’d always suspected that Area 51 held the greatest secrets when it came to the existence of alien life, and sure enough we were right. During the events of the War of 1996, President Whitmore and his party were made privy to the secrets of the top secret installation by the eccentric Dr. Brakish Okun. A lead researcher at the infamous military site, Dr. Okun was presumably killed after an alien he was dissecting became re-animated, using him as a mouthpiece to speak with humanity. As luck would have it, the good doctor did not die, rather he was in a coma for some time - leaving him to return to the aid of humanity in its darkest hour. Returning to play one of his craziest roles yet in Independence Day: Resurgence is venerated sci-fi actor Brent Spiner. Recently seen re-teaming with Patrick Stewart in the Starz comedy Blunt Talk, we can only imagine what Spiner’s character is going to be like after having an extremely close encounter with an alien, and living to tell the tale.

Julius Levinson

While his son David may be book smart, Julius Levinson doesn’t resist a chance to set his son straight when he needs to. A wise, if not cranky, old man, Julius loves playing chess and trying to help his son fix his life up a bit, and he’s not afraid to quote John Lennon for the cause. Julius evacuated New York with his son during the War of 1996, and stuck beside him throughout the journey - no matter how airsick his child had gotten. Julius may not be a warrior in the traditional sense, but he surely knows how to brighten the mood and calm a room that’s about to get out of control. Without Judd Hirsch playing the role of Julius, as he did in the previous film, Independence Day: Resurgence would have no business including his character in the proceedings. Thankfully, both Hirsch and his sage comedic relief will help us through another round of prayer.

The Aliens

When you bust in on an inferior race, guns blazing and your enemy confused, surely you think you’ve got the day won, right? Wrong, my extraterrestrial friend, as the aliens who sparked the War of 1996 not only failed to secure the planet they lusted after from afar, they lost almost their entire advance party in the process. We say almost because as the history of the world after their defeat will tell you, some aliens survived for around a decade after their initial attack - only to slowly be cleared out. Of course, when you lose a scouting team to a punk fighter pilot and an egghead computer whiz, you’re naturally going to send another team - which is what our unnamed alien race from Independence Day have done in the name of the story for Independence Day: Resurgence. With a bigger ship, and undoubtedly tougher, more advanced defenses - it’s going to be much harder to whoop ET’s ass this time around - especially since Earth has run out of Randy Quaids to throw at them.

President Lanford

In every Roland Emmerich film that features a president (and if you’re keeping score that’s a whole bunch of them), the world leader reflects a usually progressive viewpoint that either syncs up with the modern world, or puts it ahead of its time. President Lanford is the latest in Emmerich’s collection of Commanders in Chief, and she’s the first female United States president in history. Overseeing the United States in Independence Day: Resurgence’s version of 2016, President Lanford may be a leader in a brave new world, but she’s going to need some advice from heroes of the past in order to defeat this revisiting menace. Reuniting with Emmerich after her role in 2004’s The Day After Tomorrow, Sela Ward has gone from being a doctor to being president in 12 years, with a couple exciting stops along the way. Most notably, Ward played television personality Sharon Schieber in David Fincher’s adaptation of Gone Girl, as well as landing gigs on shows like House, M.D. and CSI: NY.

Despite its severe lack of Will Smith, Independence Day 2 is actually shaping up rather nicely. Jeff Goldblum is back on board, he’ll be joined by the eminently watchable Liam Hemsworth, and it’s now also been confirmed that Brent Spiner is returning for the blockbuster.

Roland Emmerich, who is stepping back into the director’s chair for the follow-up his 1996 disaster epic, took to his Twitter account to confirm that Spiner will reprise his role as Dr. Brackish Okun for Independence Day 2, while also confirming that a new actress will join the ensemble.

Before you can potty yourself over a certain issue, let me just declare that I know exactly what you’re all thinking: didn’t Brent Spinner’s Dr. Brackish Okun die in Independence Day? Because that’s exactly what appeared to happen in the original. I mean, does this guy look like he’s about to shake off his injuries and go on living happily ever after?

Well, it turns out that rather than perishing after being accosted by the vindictive extra terrestrial, Dr. Brackish Okun actually went into a coma, even though everything in the above scene actually points to his death. I suppose he could have been resuscitated while the rest of Independence Day unfolded, it just seemed very unlikely.

Regardless of whether it makes sense, Brent Spiner’s return is an encouraging sign as it creates yet another bridge between the original film and the impending sequel. Also, having had his brain consumed by the alien, he will have first hand knowledge of how these creatures think and act. Plus, Spiner is a welcome addition to any cast thanks to his eclectic but constantly intriguing performances, and he was particularly sensational as the excitable scientist Okun in the original.

Joey King is another sturdy addition to an already impressive cast. Despite being just 15-years-old, King has already proven that she has the skill to not only mix it up with her more renowned and mature co-stars, but she can also excel opposite them too. Independence Day 2 will be with us on June 24, 2016, and Spiner and King will be joined on-screen by Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie Usher, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Vivica A. Fox for the follow up, which, even though it’s being directed by the always temperamental Emmerich, might just be the surprise hit of summer 2016.