Scott Bakula Broke His Silence On The Star Trek Return Rumors Fans Won't Stop Talking About

Back in August, /Film reported on the story that Scott Bakula was keen to reprise the role of Captain Jonathan Archer, the role he played on "Star Trek: Enterprise" (2001 – 2005). Indeed, he even had a fun pitch in the form of "Star Trek: United," a series that was to follow Captain Archer after he had been elected the president of Earth. Bakula had been working with Michael Sussman, a writer/producer on "Enterprise," on their "United" idea, and they admitted that it was all based on one screenshot from the "Enterprise" series. It seems that, in the time-and-space-warp episode "In a Mirror Darkly," Captain Archer's personnel file flashed past the screen, and those with sharp eyes could see that he served as President starting in the year 2184. And if Archer were president, surely there are some interesting stories to be told. The idea of "Star Trek: United," then, was that it would be a sci-fi version of "The West Wing." Not a bad elevator pitch. 

Sussman is the only one who has gone on record about the possibility of "Star Trek: United," however. He noted that the series would potentially be more mature and less action-oriented than some of the more recent "Star Trek" shows, and that it would finally address the details of the Romulan War, an event in "Star Trek" history that is often alluded to, but which has never been dramatized or filmed. "Star Trek: United," however, remained in the "wouldn't this be cool?" phase and has not been properly pitched, much less greenlit. 

Scott Bakula recently appeared on "Today" to discuss his off-Broadway production of "The Baker's Wife," and he addressed the rumors surrounding his potential return to "Star Trek." Sadly, he confirmed that they were just that: rumors.  

When asked if he would want to reappear as Captain Archer, Bakula said quite plainly that he wants to, but there's nothing in the pipeline. He knows about the rumors, of course, but he would rather see Trekkies enjoy and spread the rumors. In his words: 

"Of course, I would love to do more ['Star Trek'], but I can't clear up any rumors because I didn't start them. And they're not planted. They're just ... People talk about stuff. [...] 'Star Trek' fans are spectacular, and ardent, and loyal. It's fun to be around them. And they're running with something, a little piece of information that went out, and they're having a ball with it. So, enjoy."

So our excitement about Sussman's "United" announcement is where the series currently begins and ends. Paramount recently merged with Skydance, and while the new leadership at the company is eager to see more "Star Trek" in the near future, no one is yet sure what form that will take. /Film reported that another Kelvin film, in Development Hell for many years, has finally died, and other rumored shows like "Star Trek: Legacy" remain in the pipe-dream phase. As of this writing, the animated series "Star Trek: Scouts" is currently being released on YouTube, and "Star Trek: Starfleet Academy" is scheduled to debut in January of 2026. The audio drama "Star Trek: Khan" (actually quite excellent) recently finished its nine-episode run as well. 

If Paramount needs ideas for more "Star Trek" shows, they are plentiful. "Star Trek: United" sounds like a fun idea. Also, call any Trekkie, and they might have some fun ideas as well. Give me a call, Paramount. I have my pitch packet all ready.