Kate Mulgrew turned down the chance for Admiral Janeway to helm the Enterprise

It seems it would be any Starfleet officer's dream—to captain the Enterprise. After all, it had been helmed by such well-known captains as Captain James T. Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard. When one thinks of Star Trek, the Enterprise isn't far behind. It's the quintessential starship of the franchise. So when Kate Mulgrew was offered the chance for her character to be the captain of that ship for the second season of Star Trek: Prodigy, one would think it would be an opportunity she would relish. But that isn't the case.

According to Gizmodo, during an interview with IGN, Prodigy co-creator Dan Hageman talked about approaching Mulgrew with the idea of her character, Admiral Janeway, helming the Enterprise for the series' second season.

"We [asked] Kate, ‘What do you think if you’re the new captain of the Enterprise,’ and she was not thrilled. She’s like, ‘I’d rather it be the Voyager.’"

- Kate Mulgrew

Mulgrew instead chose Voyager over Enterprise, which makes complete sense. For seven years, her character led the Voyager through the Delta Quadrant, enduring first contact with horrific species such as the Hirogen and the Viridians. Despite the ups and downs of the journey, Janeway was unflinching in both her dedication as a captain and her devotion to her crew. Voyager was her home as much as it was those who served under her. So why wouldn't Mulgrew choose to put her character back on the bridge of a familiar ship?

And now that season two of Star Trek: Prodigy is nown streaming on Netflix, it's easy to see that Mulgrew made the right decision. Though it had been over two decades since Janeway stepped foot on Voyager's bridge, it's clear from the moment she's seen sitting in the captain's chair on the Voyager-A that she is, once again, home.