Rhys Darby is playing a familiar character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but who?
By Chad Porto
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has brought a variety of characters from across Star Trek to their show. We've seen young versions of Montgomery "Scotty" Scott, The Kirk brothers (George and James Kirk), and a young Uhura (and Spock, obviously). As well as Brad Boilmer and Beckett Mariner from Star Trek: Lower Decks.
So we've seen quite a few names pop up from across the world of Star Trek, namely, characters we're rather intimate with. The show has even teased us with a young Khan Noonien Singh and a young Sybock. Though neither really had much of an impact and were just subtle cameos.
We're likely to get even more names in season three, and newcomer Rhys Darby is being very vocal about that very fact. It was recently announced at the New York Comic Con by Henry Alonzo Myers (via TrekMovie.com) that Darby is going to be playing a "familiar" character who is "completely new'.
Myers put over the character as fun, so naturally that had us thinking of who it could be that Darby is playing. Initially, Leonard "Bones" McCoy first popped into our heads. After all, McCoy is most recently played by Karl Urban, and the two men are from New Zealand. Yet, Urban has more gravitas and isn't as much of a comedian as Darby is.
And he is, famously a more comedic actor. So maybe he's playing someone else. Strange New Worlds is essentially a continuation of the original Star Trek pilot in some ways; a further exploration of what is and could be from that original filming. So naturally, that would mean we'd see more characters from that original pilot, which led us to Dr. Phil Boyce.
Boyce though was older and less comical than Darby is used to playing. So that left us with only one name; Trelane.
We've seen Trelane only once and was a very whimsical character. He had a lot of comedic styling and could easily be the kind of guy that Star Trek would hire a comedian to play.
He's the kind of role that Darby would eat up. After all, if you remember his first appearance, you know just how bombastic and over-the-top Trelane is. Which is perfect for the New Zealand comedian.
It could be someone else, but if we had to bet money, we're betting it on Trelane.