Star Trek: Starfleet Academy could have its own version of Data, but could Brent Spiner’s beloved android also appear in Star Trek’s next series? Created by executive producers and co-showrunners Alex Kurtzman and Noga Landau, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy reopens the school responsible for graduating Starfleet legends like Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Starfleet Academy is set in the 32nd century and picks up sometime after Star Trek: Discovery, which ended with season 5.
Star Trek: Discovery season 5 was an intergalactic quest for the ancient technology of the Progenitors, who seeded countless worlds with humanoid life. To find the Progenitors’ treasure, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and the USS Discovery’s crew deciphered a series of clues left behind since the 24th century. In Star Trek: Discovery season 5’s premiere, Burnham, Cleveland Booker (David Ajala), and Captain Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) found an android named Fred (J. August Brown), who was shot and deactivated by L’ak (Elias Toufexis) and Moll (Eve Harlow). Fred’s time in Star Trek: Discovery was brief, but he could have a future in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy Can Have Its Own Data
Soong-type androids don’t grow on trees
Fred was a synthetic who worked as a fence on the planet Q’Mau when he was introduced in Star Trek: Discovery season 5. A Soong-type android with the serial number AS0572Y, Fred was part of the population of synthetics created by Dr. Altan Inigo Soong (Brent Spiner) on the planet Coppelius in Star Trek: Picard. Fred survived for hundreds of years before his fateful run-in with Moll and L’ak. The dormant Fred was brought aboard the USS Discovery where the android was examined by Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz).
Star Trek: Discovery never reactivated Fred, but the Data-like android could find a new life in Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. A Soong-synthetic could be very valuable to Starfleet Academy in a few ways. A revived Fred, who may be reprogrammed to no longer be a criminal mover of goods, could serve as an instructor at Starfleet Academy. Or Fred could be an unusual mentor to the Cadets. Even deactivated, Fred could be useful to future Starfleet engineers who want to learn the intricacies of synthetic and positronic technology.
Can Brent Spiner’s Data Appear In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy?
Data’s mortality changed in Star Trek: Picard
While Fred could be a fun addition to the cast of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, Star Trek fans would be even more delighted if Brent Spiner reprised Data once more – but could it happen? Unfortunately, by Star Trek: Discovery’s 32nd century, Data would be long dead. After he was rebuilt with a new synthetic body, with the personalities of Lore, B-4, and Lal (Hallie Todd) merged into his brain, Data was given the gift of mortality by Dr. Altan Soong. Data will grow old and die (of natural causes) as of Star Trek: Picard season 3, and it’s doubtful Data would survive another 790 years into Discovery’s distant future.
Star Trek is missing a certain positronic spark without a yellow-eyed android.
However, Data could always appear as a hologram, in flashbacks, or though some other science fiction shenanigans. If Star Trek: Starfleet Academy needs the services of Brent Spiner, he may be willing to reprise Data once more. Star Trek fans are hoping for Spiner to return as Data if Star Trek: Picard’s proposed spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy, happens. But barring the return of Data, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy could have the next best thing in Fred. After all, Star Trek is missing a certain positronic spark without a yellow-eyed android.