The new Star Trek movies have been big box office hits. It looks as though rebooting the property and adding more action was just what the franchise needed to be more desirable for the mainstream crowds. Some might argue whether they needed to make it more desirable for the mainstream public. I would argue that since movie studios are out to make as much money as possible, then yes they did need to reboot the franchise and start from scratch. It seems to me that there certain characters or movies that should not be rebooted or redone. Prior to 2009’s Star Trek I would put James T. Kirk and the rest of the original Enterprise crew in that category. Hollywood, however has now proven that they will reboot anything to make a buck. Considering that, I am stuck wondering if they will ever give TNG the reboot treatment. I hope not, but who knows? I think people would flock to go see that in theaters, if they got the right people to take over the bridge of the Enterprise-D. Then I thought, that might just make an interesting blog entry. So, here it is, my ideas for who they could cast in a TNG reboot. To be clear, this is all in fun, and I have heard no rumors or even hints of rumors that any of this would actually happen. These are just my thoughts.

Captain Jean Luc Picard

Probably the most important casting of the whole show. The original TNG’s success completely hinged on how well Picard went over with the fans. Patrick Stewart pulled it off, as we know, swimmingly.  We would need a pretty good actor to step in and fill those shoes. I think martin Freeman could be our guy. There’s nothing says that Picard needs to be played by a Brit. In fact, the character is from France. The precedent, however has been set by Stewart, and I think it would be a nice nod to have the remake go in that direction as well. When I first came upon the idea to cast Freeman in the reboot, my first thought was that he was too young. Patrick Stewart was in his late 40 when he began playing Jean-Luc. Freeman will be 44 this year, so he is in the same age range. I know the hair thing might be a big deal, but I think we could get over that. I think Freeman can play that great mix of stern and compassion that Picard requires as a starship captain. We know he can play diplomatic after seeing his work on Sherlock where he has to be the peacemaker in each episode. If he can deal with Sherlock and be his best friend, he should have no problem taking on Romulans and Klingons.

Commander William Riker

Jonathan Frakes should be involved somehow with the reboot. Maybe as a director. The guy knows how to direct Star Trek, at least in the traditional sense, and although he has aged well, his time as Number 1 would definitely be over. For our first officer, I think Zachary Levi would be a great choice. He has grown up a lot since Chuck, but he hasn’t lost that charm, which would be key for the role. I think he could really pull it off, brining his own touch to the character. He would play well opposite Freeman’s Picard. He looks younger, but not too young, and I think the crew would have no problem following him while Picard went inevitably missing. And, let’s face it, Levi hasn’t been overly busy since Chuck, which is too bad. We need to get him back into a starring role. Another role that would just add to his geek cred. I mean look at this guy- wouldn’t he look good in the Star Fleet Uniform? Like he was born to wear it.

Lt. Commander Data

Ok, this might be a little type casting here, since you could argue that Sheldon is almost an android, especially in the first few seasons of TBBT. That’s true, what can I say? I really think Parsons could pull off the Data character in a classic way. almost as well as Brent Spiner pulled it off. I mean, no one could really replace Spiner as Data. He just nailed the lack of emotion, yet still curious and inquisitive Data. Always striving to be more human and to understand living beings. He was just amazing, and no one would ever do it better. Parsons, though, I think could do it as well. He knows how to play quirky and inquisitive, and let’s face it, TBBT is all about Sheldon trying to figure out people. It would be a smooth transition from that character into Data’s shoes. He could bring the same touching emotional moments that Spiner did, making him the heart of the show.

Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge

I think LaForge was probably LeVar Burton’s second most well-known Television role. Hosting Reading Rainbow was probably his most well-known role. I always thought it was so cool that he was on both, and I loved the episode of Reading Rainbow  where the visited the set of TNG and talked about it. It was so awesome. Of course, i thought I was the only person in the world who was smart enough to figure out that he was the same guy. Obviously, I wasn’t really that smart at all. Donald Glover doesn’t have  hosting a children’s Television show to his credit, but he has had a number of roles that display his depth and range as an actor. I think he could fit in well as our chief engineer. He also has a great smile, which I think is necessary for Geordi’s character. The only question is whether he would have to wear the visor or if they would just go straight to the implants. I think it would be cool if they went with the visor, but you don’t have to take my word for it…

Lt. Worf

Worf is the Klingon Chief of Security with the big heart. He may be Klingon on the outside, but he was raised by humans, and even though he doesn’t like to show it, that means he is just a big softy on the inside. We would need an imposing figure who could also play the big heart. David Ramsey is a great choice for that. He plays that every week on Arrow. I mean, where would Ollie be without Diggle? Lost in the pursuit of vengeance, that’s where. I think Ramsey could easily move from one franchise to the next and step into the role of everyone’s favorite Klingon. He would look imposing for sure, but look at the guy, he is obviously really a softy at heart. Now just picture him with a really bumpy forehead and a Klingon scowl. Now you’re seeing it, right? Trust me, it would work.

Deanna Troi

Deanna Troi, the counselor aboard the Enterprise. Before TNG I had no idea that starships came with a counselor. She was there for the emotional needs of the crew members, and somehow that meant that she needed to sit on the bridge, right next to the captain. She was also involved in all the bridge crew meetings and a part of every major decision. Apparently, in the future, being a counselor has a lot more clout than today. In any case, my choice for the role would be Alexandra Daddario. You might not recognize her name right off, but chances are you have seen her onscreen before. She has had roles in the Percy Jackson movies, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, True Detective, The New Girl and many more. This could be the role, though, that becomes her signature role. I mean, who had heard of Marina Sirtis before TNG? Now, she is loved by Trek fans throughout the world.

Dr. Beverly Crusher

Beverly Crusher had to deal with all the pressures of being the Chief Medical officer of the Federation’s largest starship and being a single mom of a teenage boy. That’s a lot of pressure to deal with, but she handled it well and was able to balance it all. The role would require someone who could pull all of that off  just as well. Erika Christensen may just be the right fit. She is best known for her role on the television series Parenthood, in which she plays a woman who is balancing a career as a lawyer and her responsibilities as a mother (at least as far as I know, I have only seen the first few episodes). I think lawyer is pretty stressful, probably up there with Chief Medical Officer of a starship. I think she could do it. She’s not a redhead like Gates McFadden, but I don’t think that Beverly Crusher has to have red hair. If they really wanted her to have it, then they have ways of making that happen.

Well there you have it. At least the “bridge crew.” What do you think? Would you watch this crew step onto the bridge of the Enterprise D? Or, am I way off? Who would you cast in a TNG reboot? I know I didn’t include Wesley, so who would you pick for that role? It’s always fun to think about what a reboot of the series would like, and to wonder if they would do it as a TV series or if they would reboot it as a movie. The series premiered 28 years ago, so it is probably due for a reboot, because that’s all Hollywood does anymore.

Jake Dietz

the geeky mormon

Jake Dietz is a father, husband, Latter-day Saint, movie lover, and all around geek. He considers himself a member of many fandoms including The Cosmere by Brandon Sanderson, The Lord of the Rings, DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Star Wars, and many, many more. If it has a good story, Jake is interested in it.