Star Trek: Voyager actress Kate Mulgrew is open to a return to the captain’s chair, but she has some steadfast conditions that must be met before she does. It has been 23 years since the last episode of Voyager aired in 2001, but Admiral Kathryn Janeway has continued to live on in other Trek projects. In an interview with TrekMovie at the San Diego Comic Con, Mulgrew discussed bringing back the Janeway character for the animated series Star Trek: Prodigy, why she is so protective of the character, and her recent discussion about the possibility of a live-action return.
Mulgrew attended Comic Con to participate in the Star Trek: Prodigy panel, which featured a strong focus on the upcoming Blu-ray release of season 2 of the animated series. The 69-year-old reprised the Janeway character for the series, to wide fan approval. The positive response has fueled a push to have Janeway return to live action, and Mulgrew revealed that she recently discussed the possibility with Alex Kurtzman, who oversees the franchise, but stressed it’s only at the casual conversation stage. She outlined her requirements for a return, which focuses on giving the character the proper treatment and respect.
I just had dinner with Alex Kurtzman the other night, we talked about this. It would have to be impeccable. It would have to be without hubris. It would have to be authentic. And it would have to be so bloody good that I would in no way question any element of it. I mean, to come back after 25 years, into a character that was once you know that I’m not only revered but by me, loved by me.
I have to take care of my character. So I’ve just said to Alex, you know, I love her. She will never be misused, but she must be exalted. And the writing has to be somewhere from heaven.
So we’ll keep this conversation alive. But so far, it’s a conversation.
Star Trek: Prodigy
4/5
Star Trek: Prodigy is the first TV series in the Star Trek franchise marketed toward children, and one of the few animated series in the franchise. The story follows a group of young aliens who find a stolen Starfleet ship and use it to escape from the Tars Lamora prison colony where they are all held captive. Working together with the help of a holographic Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew), the new crew of the USS Protostar must find their way back to the Alpha Quadrant to warn the Federation of the deadly threat that is pursuing them.
Mulgrew emphasized her protective nature toward the character, which has only strengthened after a younger generation of kids discovered Janeway through Prodigy. She insists that a live-action return for the character must feature her as the lead, as she believes Janeway should never pay second fiddle:
She would have to be central to whatever it is that she’s doing. Otherwise, why bother?
Kate Mulgrew’s Career From Star Trek and Beyond
Kate Mulgrew found instant stardom in 1975, when she was cast as Mary Ryan in the soap opera Ryan’s Hope. She starred in the series Mrs. Columbo for ABC in 1979, earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Drama in 1980. She worked in television and film extensively throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, including appearances on Cheers, St. Elsewhere, Murphy Brown, and the film Throw Momma From the Train.
She was cast as Captain Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Voyager in 1995, appearing in 168 episodes over seven seasons. She reprised the role of Janeway in the film Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002 and a 4D film for the Star Trek Experience attraction in Las Vegas in 2004. In 2021, she voiced the character in animated form for Star Trek: Prodigy, appearing in 40 episodes. She voiced the character for several video games, including Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (2000), Star Trek Legacy (2006), and Star Trek: Prodigy – Supernova (2022).
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In addition to Prodigy, Mulgrew has been busy in recent years, appearing in shows including Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, and most notably, as “Red” on the Netflix series Orange is the New Black, earning a Primetime Emmy nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy in 2014. She also provided voices in the video games Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition.
Star Trek: Prodigy
is now available to stream on Netflix.