Star Trek legend Jonathan Frakes throws his support behind Star Trek: Legacy, the proposed spinoff of Star Trek: Picard season 3. Frakes joined the entire cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation and reprised Captain Will Riker in Picard season 3, and he also directed episodes 3 and 4. Picard's finale, "The Last Generation," which was written and directed by showrunner Terry Matalas, set up a spinoff set aboard the USS Enterprise-G starring Captain Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Jean-Luc Picard's (Patrick Stewart) son, Ensign Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers), but despite rabid fan enthusiasm, there has been no movement toward Star Trek: Legacy happening.

In an interview with Variety conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike, Jonathan Frakes expressed his hopes that Paramount+ will green-light Star Trek: Legacy, which he would gladly reprise Riker for. Frakes notes both the fan response and how Star Trek: Picard season 3 charted in the Top 10 streaming shows. Read his quote below:

“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. 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 Terry [Matalas] to put together this ‘Legacy’ show and that will, in fact, come to fruition.”

Why Star Trek: Legacy Still Doesn't Have A Green Light From Paramount Plus

Star Trek: Picard season 3 received acclaim from fans and critics that exceeded the response for other Star Trek series on Paramount+, with only Star Trek: Strange New Worlds matching it. It seems unfathomable that Terry Matalas wasn't instantly contracted to make Star Trek: Legacy with Picard season 3's creative team and cast returning, which they indicated their willingness to do. However, Paramount+ was already undergoing internal adjustments due to the changing state of the streaming industry, which is struggling to be profitable. While Picard season 3 was still streaming, Paramount+ canceled Star Trek: Discovery, and this was before the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Star Trek: Prodigy was then canceled in June.

The WGA and SAG-AFTRA double strikes have brought TV and movie production in Hollywood to a dead stop, making the wait for a potential Star Trek: Legacy announcement even longer. Further, it's unclear how many Star Trek projects Paramount+ wants on its current slate, especially after the announcement of a new Star Trek: Starfleet Academy series and the advent of Star Trek movies made for Paramount+, starting with Star Trek: Section 31 starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh. Still, the desire for Star Trek: Legacy hasn't abated, and a Change.org petition to greenlight Star Trek: Legacy has exceeded 61,000 signatures. The ball is entirely in Paramount+'s court to follow up Star Trek: Picard with Star Trek: Legacy, but fans can join Jonathan Frakes in being eternal optimists.

Source: Variety