Star Trek: Strange New Worlds showrunner Akiva Goldsman addressed whether the Star Trek franchise plans to use digital technology to deepfake legacy characters. Star Trek now spans multiple eras and generations, with Star Trek on Paramount+’s current shows set in the 32nd century of Star Trek: Discovery, the early 25th century of Star Trek: Picard, the late 24th century of Star Trek: Lower Decks and Star Trek: Prodigy, and the 23rd century of Strange New Worlds. Thus far, however, Star Trek has resisted deepfaking legacy characters such as Luke Skywalker’s appearance in the form of a young Mark Hamill in The Mandalorian season 2 and The Book of Boba Fett.
In an interview with SFX Magazine as reported by SlashFilm, Akiva Goldsman was asked about the Easter egg of Captain James T. Kirk’s (William Shatner) body in Star Trek: Picard season 3, and if there are plans to digitally resurrect Kirk as a younger Shatner. Read Goldsman’s response in the quote below:
“It’s a really hard thing to figure out how to do, but none of me opposes it. We just don’t have plans for it. There are a few things that I would retcon if I could, and digital performers could help that. I think in theory, yes. Sadly, just practically speaking, we have no plans for it.”
Is Star Trek Deepfaking Legacy Characters Inevitable?
Akiva Goldsman evidently has no issues with Star Trek using advanced digital technology to recreate legacy characters, or perhaps even dead characters and actors. Goldsman also expressed his desire to retcon elements of Star Trek history that he and other fans are dissatisfied with, specifically the death of Captain Kirk in Star Trek Generations. Although Goldsman says Star Trek has “no plans” for it, the direction the film and television industry is heading means it could potentially happen at some point. However, what events or characters in Star Trek history, outside of Kirk’s death, Goldsman would like to “retcon” is unclear.
Star Trek is a franchise that has found great success by recasting legacy characters rather than using deepfake technology. J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movies proved audiences would accept recastings like Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto playing a young Kirk and Spock. This opened the door to Anson Mount’s wildly successful portrayal of Captain Pike in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, which led to Strange New Worlds, which has been a blockbuster for Paramount+. Many fans cite that recastings like Mount’s Pike, Ethan Peck’s Spock, and Rebecca Romijn’s Number One have enriched those legacy characters with these new portrayals instead of relying on digital trickery and nostalgia. However, it seems like it’s only a matter of time before Star Trek does utilize deepfake technology.
Source: SlashFilm, SFX Magazine
