In 2020, Patrick Stewart reprised Jean-Luc Picard for Star Trek: Picard, which followed nearly 20 years after the movie Star Trek: Nemesis. The show accessible to Paramount+ subscribers took the former captain of the USS Enterprise on a journey that culminated with him reuniting with his Next Generation cohorts in the third and final season last year. It seemed as though the Picard series finale’s ending wrapped up Jean-Luc’s story, but now there’s apparently a movie in the works starring the character, and I have mixed feelings about it.
In addition to explaining why he was “frustrated and disappointed” by his appearance in Doctor Strange 2, Stewart’s recent appearance on Happy Sad Confused saw him talking about his Star Trek work with host Josh Horowitz. This included the actor mentioning the four Next Generation movies he’d appeared in “of varying qualities,” with “the best,” in his mind, being 1997’s First Contact, which was directed by co-star Jonathan Frakes. Stewart also confirmed that he’s interested in playing Jean-Luc Picard again with a cinematic space rather than as a series lead, and then shared the following:
I heard only last night about a script that is being written, but written specifically with the actor, Patrick, to play in it. And I’ve been told to expect to receive it within a week or so. I’m so excited because it sounds like the kind of project where the experimentation that I want to do will be essential for this kind of material. It’s good at 83…
Here’s the thing: Patrick Stewart is an amazing actor, and although X-Men is what introduced me to his talents, Star Trek: The Next Generation went on to become one of my favorite sci-fi shows. If you tell me that Jean-Luc Picard is going to lead another adventure, whether it’s on the big or small screen, I’ll check it out. Plus, if Stewart likes the script and it allows him to explore new territory with one of his most famous characters, then by all means, he should agree to star in this Star Trek movie.
On the other hand, Star Trek: Picard was promoted for years as delivering the final chapter of Jean-Luc Picard’s decades-long arc. Sure, Season 3 ended with Jean-Luc alive and playing poker with the rest of The Next Generation’s main cast (a sharp turn from the third season’s original final scene), but we left off with him in a way where it didn’t seem like we’d ever see him in the spotlight again. It was a wonderful way to conclude Jean-Luc’s story, so who’s to say this proposed movie could do a better job of truly accomplishing that.
That’s not to say I don’t want a post-Picard time period explored in the Star Trek franchise, but I’m more interested in the proposed Legacy spinoff like many other fans, which would focus on characters like Seven of Nine and Jack Crusher aboard the Enterprise-G. I’d even be fine with Patrick Stewart guest-starring on the show, but having him lead another Star Trek project when Picard ended things so well for the title character is a risky endeavor.
As for where we would see this Jean-Luc Picard movie if it gets greenlit, my bet is this will be a Paramount+ exclusive rather than play in theaters. Paramount Pictures still hasn’t been able to get the Kelvin timeline-set Star Trek 4 off the ground, but Paramount+ is moving ahead with Michelle Yeoh’s Section 31 movie, which spins out of Star Trek: Discovery. Even though the streaming service’s supply of Star Trek content hasn’t been as complete as it once was (the first 10 movies can currently only be streamed with a Max subscription, and Star Trek: Prodigy has moved to Netflix), a Jean-Luc Picard movie is surely the kind of product that Paramount+ would want to exclusively show off.
In any case, if this particular Star Trek project ends up moving forward, we’ll let you know. Until then, be sure you’re keeping track of the upcoming Star Trek TV shows and looking through the best shows on Paramount+.