Zachary Quinto On If Spock Could Appear On Star Trek: Discovery

With Star Trek: Discovery set just a decade prior to the events of Star Trek: The Original Series, could the franchise's most logical science officer make an appearance?

Zachary Quinto plays the Spock of the Kelvin Timeline, the universe of the Star Trek reboot movies, and he says a Spock cameo on Star Trek: Discovery "probably" won't happen, at least not played by him. However, he's not ruling it out entirely.

"It's such a unique experience and it's such a unique character and I feel like I wouldn't know how to [do it,] but who knows?" Quinto tells Entertainment Tonight. "But I'm excited to see it, I'm happy that they're doing it and I think it's an incredible universe. There is an endless combination of possibilities and stories and characters and I don't feel like they'll need me. I feel like they'll be able to create an opulent world of much drama on their own."

Star Trek: Discovery's place in the Star Trek timeline isn't the only reason for speculation about an appearance by Spock. The series lead, Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), is the first human ever to attend the Vulcan Learning Center as a youth. While there she forms a special relationship with Spock's parents, Sarek (James Frain), Spock's Vulcan father, and Amanda Grayson, Spock's human mother.

From what fans know, Spock went through a long period of time prior to the events of Star Trek: The Original Series where he did not have contact with his father, which could explain why he wouldn't make an appearance in Star Trek: Discovery. On the other hand, Spock could show up and simply not share a scene with Sarek and continuity would be preserved.

Of course, if Quinto isn't up for reprising the role on the CBS All Access series, Leonard Nimoy's son has said that he's open to the idea of a CGI Spock appearing on Star Trek in the future.

Set 10 years prior to the five-year mission of the Enterprise in Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Discovery follows the adventures of Starfleet on their missions to discover new worlds and new lifeforms, and one Starfleet officer who must learn that to truly understand all things alien, you must first understand yourself. The series will feature a new ship, new characters, and new missions while embracing the same ideology and hope for the future that inspired a generation of dreamers and doers.

Star Trek: Discovery's cast also includes Jason Isaacs as the starship Discovery's Captain Lorca, Rainn Wilson as Star Trek: The Original Series character Harry Mudd, James Frain as Sarek, Spock's father, and Michelle Yeoh as Captain Georgiou, the captain of another Starfleet ship, the Shenzhou, which will be important to the plot of Star Trek: Discovery. Doug Jones and Anthony Rapp both play science officers. Mary Wiseman will play a final year Starfleet Academy cadet.

Star Trek: Discovery was created by Bryan Fuller and Alex Kurtzman. Fuller was originally intended to be Discovery's showrunner but was forced step down due to commitments to Starz' adaptation of Neil Gaiman's American Gods. Gretchen J. Berg and Aaron Harberts have taken over as showrunners.

Star Trek: Discovery premieres Sept. 24, 2017.

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