When “Star Trek: Picard” was first announced by Paramount+ as part of its “Star Trek” streaming revival, it’s safe to say the series was met with equal amounts of excitement and trepidation. After all, it had been almost three decades since “Star Trek: The Next Generation” left the airwaves, and nearly two decades since Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) stood on the bridge of a Starfleet vessel on the big screen. But as the title of the series denoted, what series co-creators Kirsten Beyer, Michael Chabon, and Akiva Goldsman had in mind was far more than a “TNG” revival.
Over the ensuing three seasons, the “Picard” creative team delved deeper into the post-Starfleet life of the famed U.S.S. Enterprise captain than any fan could have anticipated. They did, of course, also lean heavily into “TNG” callbacks, with Season 3 bringing back many of Picard’s old colleagues from the Enterprise days. As “Picard” fans know, Season 3 was also the series’ last, with Captain and crew bringing the action to a close with a serious emotional bang.
But according to Stewart, the Season 3 finale of “Picard” doesn’t have to be the end, with the actor telling Indiewire he’d absolutely return under the right circumstances. “I think we could do a movie, a ‘Picard’-based movie,” the actor noted, adding, “And that would be, I think, a very appropriate way to say, ‘And goodbye folks.'” Thus, the question becomes whether or not Paramount is open to the idea.
The door remains open for Picard to return to Paramount+
Patrick Stewart was quick to note he wouldn’t want a “Star Trek: Picard” movie to be solely focused on Jean-Luc. Rather, he’d like to keep the reunion vibes of Season 3 going in feature film format, telling Indiewire, “[N]ot necessarily at all about Picard but about all of us. And to take many of those wonderful elements, particularly from Season 3 of ‘Picard’ and take out of that what I think could be an extraordinary movie.” He was, however, quick to add that there hasn’t been much interest in the idea yet. “I keep telling people and mentioning it, and so far there’s been no eager response, but it might well happen.”
That last statement is interesting, as the “Picard” creative team left the door open for such a return at the end of Season 3. So even if Paramount bosses weren’t initially looking to continue “Picard” in a fourth season or a spin-off movie, should that thinking change, it should be quite easy for Stewart and company to suit up for more adventures in the far reaches of the universe.
Given Stewart’s interest in returning, it’s hard to imagine that’s not an enticing prospect for Paramount. “Picard” executive producer Alex Kurtzman — who has been spearheading the streaming revival of the “Star Trek” universe on Paramount+ – is clearly open to the idea of a return as well. In January 2023, Kurtzman told Variety that he wasn’t sure the series would return, but the show’s creatives purposely left the door open for one. Here’s hoping that happens sooner rather than later.
