Star Trek: Picard is in production, it's coming to Amazon Prime and fans are keen for news - any news - regarding the show. Well, here's s0me news that will make fans around the Alpha Quadrant happy. Brent Spiner will be appearing in the show, according to Revenge of the Fans.
I can exclusively reveal that Spiner will be a guest star on Star Trek: Picard on CBS All Access. Spiner played Lt. Commander Data on The Next Generation with Patrick Stewart. He even made a cameo in the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise, though that was just a voice role, since he felt like he “aged out” of the appearance of Data, especially because Enterprise was a prequel hundreds of years before The Original Series even took place.
It is curious who he will exactly be playing. The assumption is that he is just an older Data. That could definitely be the case, but it could be a number of other things.
It could very well be recordings of Data from the past, using some CGI de-aging work. It could be vision/dream sequences so he doesn’t have to look exactly as he did. Of course, as a synthetic lifeform, they could take the Terminator route, and have it be that they figured out a way to age them like humans, or that he is another of the same model.
It is possible that he is playing a completely different character as well, but that is doubtful. To bring Spiner back would have to be to see Data again in some shape or form. It could be anything.
Up until now, it was unknown as to whether any other cast members from The Next Generation would show up in this new phase of Picard’s life. Now that Spiner will appear, it leaves the door open for others to do the same. Data returning makes a ton of sense though, as him and Picard formed a very close friendship throughout the series.
No idea yet on whether he will be platying Data, a version of Data, a de-aged Data (the technology is certainly there to do that these days) or another character, but with Jonathan Frakes directing episodes and most of the cast seemingly keen to be a part of the show, perhaps there is a way for the Magnificent Seven to ride again in some form or fashion.
