Wesley Crusher was unbearable but Wil Wheaton deserves a shot at some point to return to the Star Trek franchise.
It’s time to erase the Star Trek fan perception of Wesley Crusher and Wil Wheaton. The son of Beverly was often depicted as extremely intelligent but so profoundly stupid. The “Shut up, Wesley!” meme has all but ruined what good reputation Crusher had with the newer fans and it’s a damn shame, as Wil Wheaton is a genuine delight to watch perform. Whether it’s his guest spots in shows like The Guild, his turn on Eureka, or his hosting duties on the digital series Table Top, Wheaton always has a nice presence about himself.
Frankly, it’s time to bring him back into the fold of Star Trek.
Wheaton’s last real appearance with the franchise was a throw-away deleted scene from Star Trek: Nemesis. He did however voice an unnamed Romulan in the 2009 Star Trek reboot. Despite that, still nothing 11 years later. It’s time to get Wheaton back into the chair. Perhaps his character of Wesley Crusher could be the main character of the Nickelodeon show? Maybe he could have a big role in the digital animated series Lower Decks. Maybe he could even voice a new character. Wouldn’t be the first time at Trek-alumn has been repurposed.
Heck, maybe CBS can have him take the Captain’s chair of a Starfleet vessel in a true sequel series to DS9 and Voyager.
Or maybe just a cameo in Star Trek: Picard?
It’s hard to gauge where Wheaton could fall on the scale of a return. He was a significant character, who’s young enough to actually take on a starring role for years to come, but was also so disliked by a large, vocal portion of the fanbase that anything with him as a lead character would be a hard sell at first.
Mind you, at first. If Winona Ryder can get her career back, who says Wheaton can’t return to Star Trek successfully?
Would you like to see Wheaton return as Wesley Crusher in a future Star Trek series or season?