Picard’ year 2 casting leak could validate a time travel saga

He’s (possibly) back! Just after saying goodbye to Star Trek, seemingly for good, 1 beloved Following Generation forged member could be returning for Star Trek: Picard Period 2.

All through a Cameo online video information to a admirer, actor John de Lancie gave an update on filming Picard Season 2. Even though discussing his co-stars, de Lancie let slip the name of an actor whose character we’d assumed was absent for great. But could there be a different explanation for his admission?

Here’s what de Lancie potentially unveiled and why it might support a idea that Q is taking Jean-Luc on a wild time-travel romp. Achievable spoilers (and wild speculation) in advance for Star Trek: Picard Year 2.

Not long ago speaking to a supporter by way of movie star video-message application Cameo, de Lancie stated:

“I am back again into the Star Trek Universe. I am carrying out Picard correct now with – of all men and women – Mr. Picard. So, that’s been terrific enjoyment. It is been good exciting to see Patrick [Stewart], to see Brent [Spiner], and to see Jonathan [Frakes]. I am likely to be operating with Jonathan coming up here in a pair of weeks. So, it’s good enjoyable.”

Did you capture it? As TrekMovie and other admirer websites have observed, it will make feeling that Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes are on set for Picard – but what’s Brent Spiner nevertheless carrying out there? Making issues far more intricate, de Lancie described in one more Cameo video that:

“I am on the following year of Picard. And Sir Patrick and I have experienced a full bunch of scenes, which we extensively savored performing with each and every other. I have obtained 1 coming up with Data on this coming Tuesday. So yeah, we are moving along.”

Is Commander Facts back for Star Trek: Picard Year 2?

Spiner’s Commander Information, of system, died in the Period 1 finale of Star Trek: Picard, paving the way for the actor participating in him to exit the sequence as effectively. It’s not still obvious if Information is back again in Year 2, but it does seem Spiner is verified to return in some ability.

Buried in a Paramount+ push release for Very first Get in touch with Working day back in April, Spiner was detailed in the solid for Picard Period 2. Common knowledge has it that the actor will not be playing Facts, in its place reprising his other role as Altan Soong, Data’s earlier unknown human brother (initial released in Picard’s two-component Time 1 finale). Alternately, could Spiner be playing Lore, Data’s evil twin brother? Or is he truly again as Info?

When Inverse spoke to Spiner earlier this month, he claimed he was “open” to returning for Picard. That’s undoubtedly not a affirmation he’s in Season 2, but it does surface that de Lancie has verified he filmed scenes with Spiner not too long ago, suggesting he’s even now a component of Picard’s next period.

Picard’s time-journey plot thickens

Now, de Lancie’s comments about reuniting with Spiner and sharing a scene with Knowledge would appear to unambiguously verify that the character is returning to Star Trek: Picard. (That explained, the actor could have simply intended that he had a scene with Spiner, referring to the actor by his preceding character’s identify.)

But if Q is assembly Data – or some model of Facts – that form of conversation would appear to double down on the plan Picard Period 2 will involve time travel. In the teaser trailer for Year 2, Jean-Luc mentions that “the true closing frontier is time.” Somewhere else, the trailer contains all varieties of hints that Year 2 will deal with Picard reliving functions from his previous.

If Q is wrapped up in a time-journey tale, it would not be the character’s initial, ahem, time. In the TNG episodes “Tapestry” and “All Excellent Matters…” Q confirmed Picard alternate methods history could have progressed, bringing Picard again to pivotal points in his have lifetime. Have been similar activities to unfold in Picard Period 2, Q may undoubtedly meet up with Knowledge.

The Spiner cameo nobody has viewed as

There’s yet another way Spiner could surface in a flashback involving Q, a single that would not have to have him to engage in Facts. What if Spiner is enjoying a center-aged version of Dr. Noonian Soong, Data’s real creator?

In TNG, we observed a “young” model of Soong by way of holograms and desire sequences, in the episodes “Birthright Part 1” and “Inheritance.” In both equally instances, he was performed by Spiner. On best of that, in the TNG episode “Brothers,” Spiner performed Soong as a dying old male.

But what about all the time in among? Sometime right after Data’s activation in 2338, but ahead of his 2367 conference with his father, Noonian Soong was presmably nevertheless working all around the galaxy. We do not know considerably about this period of time in his daily life, but a considerably more youthful Picard was in command of the USS Stargazer in the 2340s and 2350s. The Picard teaser trailer tends to make a significant deal out of Jean-Luc’s product of the USS Stargazer, implying some element of that backstory could be explored further in Time 2.

Did the Stargazer cross paths with Noonian Soong? We know so very little about all those a long time, and it is feasible some part of Soong’s exile has been held key. Moreover, unanswered questions abound about where Altan Soong came from.

If Q visits Data’s creator at some issue in the course of the 2340s, it’s attainable that Altan’s just about totally blank backstory could be discussed, too. And when de Lancie mentioned he had a scene coming up with Knowledge, he could have intended Data’s dad.

Star Trek: Picard hits Paramount+ in early 2022.