Summary
- Jonathan Frakes, known for his role as William Riker in Star Trek, is eager for a potential spinoff to the series titled Star Trek: Legacy.
- Frakes believes that the success and positive fan reaction to Star Trek: Picard season 1 makes a spinoff inevitable.
- The idea behind Legacy would continue the story from season 3 of Picard, which saw the reunion of The Next Generation crew and garnered huge fan interest.
Jonathan Frakes has no intention of slowing down. The actor and director has taken part in many facets of the Star Trek franchise over the years, and now he's ready for what comes next. Don't worry, though. That doesn't mean he's moving on from Trek. In fact, he wants more of it.
Much to the delight of Star Trek fans everywhere, Frakes has remained a franchise staple in various ways since his original show's conclusion. This primarily includes working as a director for many episodes, from The Next Generation to the beloved recent Strange New Worlds crossover episode. He also reprised his Next Generation role of William Riker alongside costar Sir Patrick Stewart in the continuation series Picard, which has inspired him to hope for more.
In a recent interview with Variety, Frakes spoke about his confidence in a potential upcoming spinoff to Picard titled Star Trek: Legacy. "I think they can't deny not only the fan reaction, but the fact that the numbers put the show at the Top 10 on the streaming charts," he responded when asked about the possibility of the spinoff happening. "And that season of Star Trek: Picard was arguably among the best seasons of any Star Trek — I think we all agree on that. I mean, Star Trek fans are loyal. It's not millions and millions of people, and it's not the youngest fandom in the world. But I am an eternal optimist, and I believe in a perfect world, they will find the assets and the energy and hire [Picard executive producer Terry Matalas] to put together this Legacy show and that will, in fact, come to fruition."
The idea behind Legacy would be a continuation of the story set up in Picard season 3 where the crew from The Next Generation reunited with Stewart. Frakes had directed episodes of Picard previously and even appeared as Riker in season 1. But the hype-worthy third season increased fan interest in the series and also from the actors. Stewart himself even floated ideas for how to continue Picard after its finale.
It's not difficult to see why so many people would be on board for such a thing. Picard came about due to overwhelming fan love for the character and his origins on The Next Generation. After 3 seasons of tying up loose ends (and maybe creating a few more), it's only natural that fans would want more. Season 3 provided the perfect set up for that with its crew reunion.
Whether Legacy will happen or not still has yet to be confirmed. But Star Trek fans are loyal, and that dedication goes both ways. If Star Trek actors want it as much as the audiences, chances seem pretty good.
Source: Variety