Michael Dorn was asked to appear on Star Trek: Discovery several times

Michael Dorn has spent more time than anyone playing a Klingon in the Star Trek universe, but he had a chance to play a different character on Star Trek: Discovery. He just doesn't know exactly what character that would have been. As Discovery was set before Star Trek: The Original Series and Discovery had its own kind of Klingons, odds are good he wouldn't have been portraying a Klingon.

In an interview with Michael Rosenbaum for the Inside of You Podcast [via Screenrant], Dorn revealed that he was asked to be a part of Discovery several times. It sounds like there were conversations going back and forth then the producer at the time, which we're assuming to be Bryan Fuller, got fired, and things changed. Fuller did leave Discovery due to creative differences.

"I was asked several times to be part of that new universe, but because of just circumstances… just that sort of one thing that happens… nothing to do with me… but something happens like on Discovery, they said hey, we want you to come back and do this character. It would be great. We’ll show you... Scripts, everything… I was talking to the producer… The producer gets fired, and they bring in a whole ‘nother crew. So it’s those type of things. So that was going on for a long time. Then one time, I just went, ‘Okay, that’s it. I’m not going to think about this anymore.’"

- Michael Dorn

Having Dorn onboard Discovery for its first season would have no doubt been a way to reach out to faithful fans of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, even he wouldn't have been playing a Klingon. Dorn isn't just known by the prosthetics he wore as his voice is easily recognizable so whatever character he would have played, fans would have known who he was.

Though Dorn didn't end up appearing on Discovery, it would have been interesting to see him on the series as a different character, especially if he'd been able to come face to face with one of Discovery's idea of Klingons!