Nickelodeon has announced that a fan-favorite veteran of Star Trek is returning for an all-new animated series, as reported by Deadline today. Kate Mulgrew (Orange is the New Black) will reprise her role as Captain Kathryn Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager in the new animated series Star Trek: Prodigy.
Star Trek: Prodigy was announced at today’s New York Comic-Con virtual Star Trek panel. The series will be the first animated take on Star Trek on the Nickelodeon network and as such will be aimed at a much younger audience than the original Star Trek animated series or the CBS All Access animated comedy Star Trek: Lower Decks. Star Trek: Prodigy will feature a band of outlaw teenagers who repurpose a defunct and forgotten Starfleet ship for voyages into the unknown. The series will be entirely animated in CGI and is set to debut in 2021.
Mulgrew is the first cast member to be confirmed for the series, with other cast members set to be announced in the coming months. Janeway will initially be an adversary, pursuing the outlaws, but will evolve into a mentor figure for them. Describing Janeway’s role in the series to Deadline, President of Nickelodeon Animation Ramsey Naito (The Boss Baby) said “Kate’s portrayal of Captain Janeway is truly iconic, and has resonated with a global audience for many years. We can’t wait to see her bring this character to life in a whole new way, while continuing to be an inspiration for both new and loyal fans.”
Mulgrew has expressed her excitement to return to the classic role after so many years. She told Deadline that “I have invested every scintilla of my being in Captain Janeway, and I can’t wait to endow her with nuance that I never did before in Star Trek: Prodigy. How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds an idea that has elevated the world for decades. To be at the helm again is going to be deeply gratifying in new way for me.” Executive producer of Star Trek: Prodigy Alex Kurtzman (co-producer and writer on several Star Trek productions such as Star Trek: Picard) echoed her statements, telling Deadline “She was asked to embody an inhuman level of perfection in order to be accepted as ‘good enough’ by the doubters, but showed them all what it means to be truly outstanding. We can think of no better captain to inspire the next generation of dreamers on Nickelodeon, than she.”
Star Trek: Voyager, along with all other Star Trek films and television shows, is available to stream on CBS All Access.