Typically, Pixar Animation Studios features don’t resort to the same rampant celebrity stunt casting of Illumination or DreamWorks Animation titles. True, features like Toy Story, Cars, and Onward were anchored by iconic folks whose names could be plastered on posters. However, other titles like Up, Luca, Coco, and A Bug’s Life were comprised of talented dramatic character actors and sitcom performers who were far from household names. Heck, 2008’s WALL-E was technically headlined by sound designer Ben Burtt and Pixar employee Elissa Knight since they voiced by WALL-E and EVE, respectively.
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The 2025 Pixar feature Elio continues this trend. While newly-minted Oscar-winner and Avatar/Marvel Cinematic Universe veteran Zoe Saldana plays the titular lead’s mom, principal leads Elio Solis and Glordon are voiced by largely unknown child performers Ronas Kibreab and Remy Edgerly, respectively. However, sci-fi geeks keeping their ears open early in Elio will hear an iconic sci-fi performer delivering an emotionally involving voice-over cameo.
Who Is This Elio Cameo?
In Elio’s opening scene, Elio Solis (Kibreab) and Aunt Olga (Saldana) are immediately struggling to connect with one another at an astronaut museum. With the former character’s parents suddenly dying, Olga is put into a parenting position she never could’ve imagined. Her struggles briefly turn into a nightmare when Elios scampers away from her watch and into an exhibition chronicling the Voyager 1 spacecraft. Here, Elio stares in awestruck wonder at the realization that there could be life beyond the stars. Welcoming planets beyond trauma-infested Earth do exist.
This Voyager 1 exhibit is narrated by a soothing, authoritative voice, helping to make it clear why Elio would be immediately transfixed by this demonstration. That voice belongs to none other than Captain Kathryn Janeway herself from Star Trek: Voyager, Kate Mulgrew. Back in the 90s, Mulgrew anchored only the fourth live-action Star Trek TV show in history and broke new ground as the first lady captain protagonist in the history of the franchise. This successor to Kirk and Picard immediately became a fan-favorite whose legacy lives on decades after Voyager concluded.
Since her Voyager days, Mulgrew has taken on a handful of sci-fi roles, serving as a tip of the hat to her most famous character, including guest spots on Warehouse 13, The Man Who Fell to Earth, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Mulgrew continues this trend in Elio, with her cameo here solidifying Elio’s obsession with everything related to aliens. Her cameo also provides an amusing (though possibly unintentional) parallel with the previous sci-fi Pixar film WALL-E. That feature included a voice-over cameo from another iconic lady of sci-fi media, Sigourney Weaver (Alien), who voiced the automated systems of the Axiom spaceship.
The Significance of Kate Mulgrew Appearing in Elio
Mulgrew’s Elio cameo is much more important than either harkening back to Weaver’s WALL-E appearance or reminding people that Star Trek: Voyager existed. Channeling Star Trek’s famously optimistic attitude about the future and humanity’s intersection with alien worlds is an inspired decision when establishing why Elio would be so fascinated with the possibilities of outer space. Having Mulgrew’s vocals appear in the film’s opening scene makes Elio’s passion for the cosmos understandable. Plus, it establishes the lighthearted, upbeat ambiance of the ensuing film.
Having a child be directly inspired by Mulgrew’s vocals also shows how Elio, as a film, is about bridging the gaps between generations. Sci-fi icons of the past are influencing the protagonists of completely original sci-fi features in 2025. This unity across time echoes the kind of growth Elio and Olga will need to create over the course of Elio’s narrative. In modern pop culture, so much energy is dedicated on properties only aiming to please the nostalgia of older audiences. Elio, meanwhile, immediately demonstrates in its runtime how the past can spur new, fresh stories.
Plus, Mulgrew’s cameo just extends naturally as part of Elio’s larger assortment of nods to greater sci-fi culture, including the Alf-inspired name of supporting character Gunther Melmac. These don’t overwhelm the project, but they certainly reflect the late-80s/90s eras of sci-fi media informing Elio’s creation. Of course, for viewers (especially younger ones) who don’t know Mulgrew’s vocals, this cameo still serves a concrete purpose in Elio’s narrative. For those who instantly recognize this Star Trek legend’s voice, though, this cameo is a pleasant extension of many of Elio’s more thoughtful qualities.
Elio is now playing in theaters.
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(Photo by Bruce Glikas/Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)
