Star Trek: Picard Producer Isn't Ruling Out Next Generation Cast Appearances

Star Trek fans are in for a real treat! The upcoming Picard series starring Patrick Stewart will see him stepping back into the role he made famous in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Recently, the series' Executive producer, Alex Kurtzman, and showrunner, Michael Chabon, shared some insights into Jean-Luc's next adventure with Entertainment Weekly. During the interview, EW asked if there was any hope of seeing some of the original TNG cast members.

"Other Next Generation actor appearances are not being ruled out," EW writes. "The producers just want to make sure they're not, you know, cheesy."

"What we don't want to do is just throw in cameos," Kurtzman explained. "There would have to be an incredibly specific story reason [for them to be there]."

However, TNG star Jonathan Frakes (Riker) will be directing two episodes of the series, but there hasn't been any word on whether or not he and his famous beard will be appearing onscreen.

Kurtzman also confirmed that the show's new regular cast members "are not playing any familiar Next Gen characters." The new cast includes Alison Pill, Michelle Hurd, Evan Evagora, Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, and Harry Treadaway.

While there's no confirmation on the originals returning, some of the former Star Trek stars have spoken about making an appearance.

"Each of us, I would say certainly, right?" Levar Burton (Geordi) said when asked about possible returns during The Lion King premiere. "It is unreasonable to assume that he doesn't know those people anymore, or that he stopped talking to them. And if he did there's good storytelling in why."

At Rose City Comic Con last year, some of Burton's co-stars — Marina Sirtis (Deanna Troi), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), and Michael Dorn (Worf) — said that they hadn't been asked to appear in the new series. "All I have to say, all we have to say - I am speaking for all three of us now - when Patrick said 'Jean-Luc Picard is back,' he didn't say TNG is back," said Sirtis.

In an interview, Dorn said it would take a significant storyline to get him back into Klingon makeup as Worf. "I'm only interested in if it's something really interesting; if the character was a major part of the franchise or whatever the show is," he says. "He's not just going to show up, beat somebody up, and then go home."

Do you hope the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast appears in the new series? Tell us in the comments!

Star Trek: Picard is expected to debut on CBS All Access later this year