Eighteen years after her last appearance in Star Trek: Nemesis, we’ve just learned that the most caffiene-fueled Starfleet officer will be back in uniform — in animated form, anyway — when Star Trek: Prodigy beams down to Nickelodeon in 2021!
Star Trek: Voyager legend Kate Mulgrew is officially returning to the role of Kathryn Janeway in next year’s Star Trek: Prodigy kids’ series, revealed today during the Star Trek Universe virtual panel held by New York Comic Con.
After seven years in the Delta Quadrant aboard the USS Voyager and a promotion to the admiralty (as seen in Nemesis and the Borg 4-D Experience at Star Trek: The Experience in Las Vegas), Mulgrew is once more voicing the Indiana-born Starfleet officer as part of the franchise’s next expansion into the animated arena.
NICKELODEON AND CBS STUDIOS ANNOUNCE
KATE MULGREW’S RETURN AS CAPTAIN JANEWAY
IN UPCOMING ANIMATED SERIES ‘STAR TREK: PRODIGY’Nickelodeon and CBS Studios today announced that Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager) will reprise her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway in Nickelodeon’s all-new animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. The news was revealed today as a surprise announcement during the Star Trek Universe virtual panel at New York Comic Con. Additional casting news will be announced in the coming months.
Kate Mulgrew stated, “I have invested every scintilla of my being in Captain Janeway, and I can’t wait to endow her with nuance that I never did before in Star Trek: Prodigy. How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds an idea that has elevated the world for decades. To be at the helm again is going to be deeply gratifying in a new way for me.”
Executive Producer Alex Kurtzman said, “Captain Janeway was held to a different standard than her predecessors. She was asked to embody an inhuman level of perfection in order to be accepted as ‘good enough’ by the doubters, but showed them all what it means to be truly outstanding. We can think of no better captain to inspire the next generation of dreamers on Nickelodeon, than she.”
“Kate’s portrayal of Captain Janeway is truly iconic, and has resonated with a global audience for many years,” said Ramsey Naito, President, Nickelodeon Animation. “We can’t wait to see her bring this character to life in a whole new way, while continuing to be an inspiration for both new and loyal fans.”
While we still don’t quote know when the series will be set — based on today’s news, we’re assuming it will be after Janeway’s return from the Delta Quadrant — this can pretty clearly rule out speculation of a 23rd Century setting for the show.
Star Trek: Prodigy will be the second vehicle to showcase a returning Voyager character, after Jeri Ryan’s reprisal as Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Picard earlier this year — and as an animated show, it seems likely (as with Star Trek: Lower Decks) that Mulgrew is likely not the only familiar voice we’ll hear in the upcoming series.
What do you think of today’s casting news for Star Trek: Prodigy? Are you excited to see how Kathryn Janeway will be apart of the kid-catered storyines? Let us know in the comments below!