Summary
Star Trek: Starfleet Academycould have its own version of Data, but could Brent Spiner’s beloved android also appear inStar Trek’s next series? Created by executive producers and co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau,Star Trek: Starfleet Academyreopens the school responsible for graduating Starfleet legends like Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).Starfleet Academyis set in the 32nd centuryand picks up sometime afterStar Trek: Discovery, which ended with season 5.
Star Trek: Discoveryseason 5 was an intergalactic quest for the ancient technology of the Progenitors, who seeded countless worlds with humanoid life. To find the Progenitors' treasure, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery’s crew deciphered a series of clues left behind since the 24th century. InStar Trek: Discoveryseason 5’s premiere, Burnham, Cleveland Booker (David Ajala), and Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) found anandroid named Fred(J. August Brown), who was shot and deactivated by L’ak (Elias Toufexis) and Moll (Eve Harlow). Fred’s time inStar Trek: Discoverywas brief, but he could have a future inStar Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy - Cast, Story & Everything We Know
Exploring another corner of the Star Trek universe, the upcoming series Star Trek: Starfleet Academy is a brand-new take on the classic franchise.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Can Have Its Own Data
Soong-type androids don’t grow on trees
Fred was a synthetic who worked as a fence on the planet Q’Mau when he was introduced inStar Trek: Discovery season 5. A Soong-type android with the serial number AS0572Y, Fred was part of the population of synthetics created by Dr. Altan Inigo Soong (Brent Spiner) on the planet Coppelius inStar Trek: Picard.Fred survived for hundreds of years before his fateful run-in with Moll and L’ak.The dormant Fred was brought aboard the USS Discoverywhere the android was examined by Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) andDr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz).
Altan Soong was the son of Dr. Noonien Soong (Brent Spiner), who created Data inStar Trek: The Next Generation.
Star Trek: Discoverynever reactivated Fred, but the Data-like android could find a new life inStar Trek: Starfleet Academy. A Soong-synthetic could be very valuable to Starfleet Academy in a few ways. A revived Fred, who may be reprogrammed to no longer be a criminal mover of goods, could serve as an instructor at Starfleet Academy. Or Fred could be an unusual mentor to the Cadets. Even deactivated,Fred could be useful to future Starfleet engineerswho want to learn the intricacies of synthetic and positronic technology.
Can Brent Spiner’s Data Appear In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy?
Data’s mortality changed in Star Trek: Picard
While Fred could be a fun addition to thecast ofStar Trek: Starfleet Academy, Star Trekfans would be even more delighted if Brent Spiner reprised Data once more - but could it happen? Unfortunately, byStar Trek: Discovery’s 32nd century,Data would be long dead. After he was rebuilt with a new synthetic body, with the personalities of Lore, B-4, and Lal (Hallie Todd) merged into his brain, Data was given the gift of mortality by Dr. Altan Soong. Data will grow old and die (of natural causes) as ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3, and it’s doubtful Data would survive another 790 years intoDiscovery’s distant future.
Star Trek is missing a certain positronic spark without a yellow-eyed android.
However,Data could always appear as a hologram,in flashbacks, or though some other science fiction shenanigans. IfStar Trek: Starfleet Academyneeds the services of Brent Spiner, he may be willing to reprise Data once more.Star Trekfans are hoping for Spiner to return as Data ifStar Trek: Picard’s proposed spinoff,Star Trek: Legacy,happens. But barring the return of Data,Star Trek: Starfleet Academycould have the next best thing in Fred. After all,Star Trekis missing a certain positronic spark without a yellow-eyed android.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy
Cast
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy follows a group of cadets as they embark on their journey to become Starfleet officers. Facing the challenges of friendship, rivalry, and romance, they confront a new enemy endangering the Academy and the Federation under the guidance of their rigorous instructors.
