Last month's ST-CHI: Trek To Chicago fan gathering featured plenty of familiar franchise names, including Todd Stashwick. The Star Trek: Enterprise (2001-2005) actor played the Romulan spy Talok in the prequel to The Original Series, and he definitely had plenty to say while speaking to those Trekkies attending the convention.
Stashwick was asked after the panel if he'd heard about a possible new franchise series called Star Trek: United, which would feature Scott Bakula reprising his role as Jonathan Archer, but as the first President of the Federation. Mike Sussman, who is currently working to get the series greenlit, wants Stashwick to return as Talok, and the actor said in an interview with TrekMovie.com:
"Stashwick! It would be the two names above the title [laughs]. I would absolutely love to return to play Talok, after 20 years. How crazy would that be, that the next project that I did in Star Trek wouldn’t be Shaw, it would be from Enterprise. I’d be happy to return, as would my health and pension. So would love to go back to work."
Legacy, United, or both?
Along with Star Trek: United, another possible series, Legacy, is also floating around in the netherworld of "what if," and how the latter would bring Stashwick back as Liam Shaw, the Starfleet captain everyone loves to hate. This would be a challenge for the writers, as Shaw died in Picard, but if Spock can walk around without a brain, die, then come to life again, who knows what other amazing events might happen!
When asked which show he'd rather appear on, Stashwick said:
"You know what, I’m not going to pick because I don’t know what the world has in store for me. And why not both? I’ve already done both in the universe, I can do both again. So to the [...] gods of Skydance and Paramount, let’s maybe make United. If they’re not going to make Legacy right now, let’s make United."
Sometimes, "both" really is good!
As a fan of The Original Series and Enterprise, I'd much rather see Star Trek: United get greenlit. There's plenty of missing years there, and with the Romulan/Starfleet war, Stashwick is an excellent casting choice to return as Talok.
Bakula as a mature, confident Archer, which would probably resonate with fans my age, is something I would love to see! Bakula, who turned 71 this year, shows no signs of slowing down, so it wouldn't surprise me if he helped Mike Sussman make United happen! Also, I need that man on my TV again.
Which series would you rather see get greenlit? Why not both, Paramount Skydance? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.