Kate Mulgrew Unsure Potential Live-Action Star Trek Janeway Show Has “All The Elements” She Needs

Kate Mulgrew recently voiced Hologram and Admiral Janeway for two seasons of Star Trek: Prodigy. But the idea of the actress, who led Star Trek: Voyager for seven seasons, returning to live action has been bandied about as well. Now Mulgrew is talking more about the discussions of a Janeway show and her concerns about making it work.

Mulgrew couldn’t bear seeing Janeway disparaged

A fan brought up Star Trek: Picard, noting how the show was “well liked,” and asked if Mulgrew had been approached to do a similar Janeway standalone show in live action. The actress indicated there had been talks but expressed reservations:

“I think it’s a tricky business… I gave Janeway everything I had back then, everything I had. [Star Trek executive producer Alex] Kurtzman has talked to me about this, of course he has. Janeway is beloved and I don’t know… I can’t answer, frankly. It would have to be so good, and I’m not sure it has all of the elements that I would need to have… I haven’t closed the door, but I think there’s lots of other stuff. I mean, I’m trying to finish my novel. I just did this play, which reminded me of how much I love to act, that I am an actress to the core of my being.”

Mulgrew mentioned “conversations” about a Janeway show in 2022, and last summer, Mulgrew told TrekMovie the topic had just come up at dinner with Kurtzman but said a Janeway show would have to be “impeccable” for her to consider doing it. But it sounds like what she said at FanExpo could be referring to something specific—possibly even an actual series pitch—with her comment that “I’m not sure it has all the elements” she would want.

Mulgrew also returned to the fan’s mention of Star Trek: Picard as a template for a “Janeway” show. She admitted she hasn’t watched Picard, but she did seem aware of some of the fan and critical response to the series:

“I don’t know, guys. You’d all watch [a Janeway show]. You’d all support it. You’d be very good. But I think Picard got mixed reviews, frankly. I’m not sure you’re right everybody adored it. And I don’t think I could bear it if Janeway were disparaged. I don’t know. I don’t know. Sorry to be so lame about it, but it is what it is.”

Mulgrew’s comments about not being sure about a Janeway series seem similar to recent comments from her Voyager co-star Jeri Ryan, who recently revealed she turned down a pitch for a Captain Seven show that wasn’t the “Star Trek: Legacy” spinoff of Picard as envisioned by showrunner Terry Matalas (which she supports). Ryan said of this other pitch, “It just wasn’t me.”