Convincing Kate Mulgrew to return as Kathryn Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy was no easy task.
Today (Oct. 24), Mulgrew virtually attended the unveiling of a statue honoring her Star Trek: Voyager captain in the character's future birthplace of Bloomington, Indiana. During the event, she took some questions and brought up her involvement with Star Trek: Prodigy. Some fans were surprised to hear she'd be in Prodigy after previously seeming reluctant to return to the Star Trek universe. Much as with Patrick Stewart's return for Star Trek: Picard, convincing Mulgrew to reprise her role was a long process and took some persistence from Star Trek television head Alex Kurtzman. Ultimately, the allure of reaching a new generation of fans is what convinced Mulgrew to come back.
"Well, frankly, the negotiations took quite a long time," Mulgrew said. "When Alex Kurtzman presented me with this idea, I wasn't entirely sure, and then over the months, the conversation evolved into what we could bring to an entirely new demographic of watchers. I thought the idea of bringing this to young minds was just too exciting, too evocative, and too promising."
Despite her initial reluctance to return to Janeway, she compared her relationship to the Starfleet captain to a "perfect marriage," at least by the time Voyager ended. "By the end of Star Trek: Voyager, it was a marriage made in heaven," she said. "As you know, I was shot out of a canon, and all I could do was stand and feel numb at the same time. By the seventh season, I belonged to her, and she belonged to me, and I carry this forward every day in the most unusual way. It's a transcendent kind of reality."
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| Captain Kathryn Janeway statue in Bloomington, Indiana. Credit: Facebook / @JanewayStatue. |
Mulgrew announced at New York Comic Con Metaverse that she will reprise her role as Janeway in Star Trek: Prodigy. During the event, Mulgrew said, "I have invested every scintilla of my being in Captain Janeway, and I can’t wait to endow her with nuance that I never did before in Star Trek: Prodigy. How thrilling to be able to introduce to these young minds an idea that has elevated the world for decades. To be at the helm again is going to be deeply gratifying in a new way for me.”
Star Trek: Prodigy is a new animated series in the works for Nickelodeon that is aimed at younger views. It is one of several Star Trek projects currently in development as the franchise continues to expand. The CG-animated series will debut exclusively on Nickelodeon in 2021.
From Daily Star Trek News:
Star Trek: Voyager’s Kate Mulgrew is optimistic about Prodigy at Captain Janeway statue unveiling
OCTOBER 26, 2020 - Over the weekend, a new statue commemorating the character of Captain Janeway from Star Trek: Voyager was unveiled in her hometown of Bloomington, Indiana. And as a special guest, Janeway actor Kate Mulgrew was on hand - virtually - to say a few words about Voyager’s (and now Star Trek: Prodigy’s) captain.
The event was streamed live on Facebook by The Captain Janeway Bloomington Collective, and our sister podcast, Women at Warp, covered it on their blog. Appearing remotely, Mulgrew discussed Janeway’s legacy as a role model.
Speaking about her feelings on having a statue erected with her likeness, she told those watching the dedication, “It is a great privilege to have played [Janeway] and to know of her great resonance in the world today.”
Peter Kaczmarczyk of The Captain Janeway Bloomington Collective, the group behind the new statue, said, “I love my Trek but Captain Janeway is so much more than just a great character among the Trek pantheon. [...] We have our share of Trek nerds but we have a lot more people who respect and honor who Captain Janeway is and what she represents.”
Kaczmarczyk continued, “From the very beginning we stressed that this wasn’t just about a Star Trek character, it was about Captain Janeway the role model, the inspiration, the leader who young girls and women could, and still can, look up to.”
Mulgrew told the small crowd that she was moved by hearing the speakers at the unveiling, and expressed optimism that she will continue Janeway’s legacy in the upcoming Nickelodeon animated series Star Trek: Prodigy. She said, “To realize that Janeway has had such an important role in your lives, and I think, in cultural history, is not only terribly affecting to me, but makes me want to go forth in a new way, and I am doing that, I think, with Prodigy.”
If you happen to be in Bloomington, Indiana, you can see the new Janeway statue in person on the B-line trail next to the WonderLab Science Museum. You can watch the entire unveiling ceremony on Facebook, at facebook.com/janewaystatue, or check out the website for more information at janewaycollective.org.
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Originally published: Sunday, October 25, 2020.
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