Star Trek's Zachary Quinto Still Hoping for a Spock Return Despite Sequel Setbacks

Quinto thinks Star Trek is versatile enough to tell stories for years to come.

By Russ Burlingame

It has been almost a decade since Zachary Quinto played Mister Spock in Star Trek Beyond, the latest feature film based on the beloved franchise, but the actor has not given up on the idea of returning to the role. While Quinto has stayed busy enough over the years that he hasn't been out there lobbying for more Star Trek all the time, he says he loves the franchise, and trusts that there will always be more opportunities to come back to it if somebody gets the right idea.

Speaking about his new NBC medical drama Brilliant Minds, Quinto took a little time out to look back at his Star Trek role and forward to what might be next. 

"The great thing is Star Trek is a limitless universe," Quinto told Variety. "Look at all the television shows, look at all the stories, look at all the characters and timelines. Anything is possible. That's the joy of the franchise. That's why it's lasted for 55, 60 years. I'm open to it. I would love it. I would absolutely love it."

He's already passed up the opportunity to return to one of his big early roles -- Heroes -- years removed from the original series. Of course, the Heroes Reborn sequel didn't seem to work very well on its own, and Quinto seems confident that's less likely to happen with Star Trek.  

"There's no cutoff," Quinto said. "The original cast did movies for decades, well into their 50s, 60s. The stories might be different. We might not be running as fast on the other planets, but I think anything's possible, and I think there's nothing more fulfilling as an artist then to come back to something after time has passed, and cultivate a relationship with it from a completely different perspective, and a completely new point of view."

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Here's the official synopsis for Brilliant Minds, Quinto's series which has a new episode coming on Monday:

Dr. Oliver Wolf is an eccentric but incredibly gifted neurologist who suffers from a rare condition that gives him a unique perspective on care, fueling his mission to change the way the world sees his patients. After his unusual methods result in his dismissal, he takes his unconventional approach to a new hospital: Bronx General, where he leads a team of bright young interns in tackling some of the world's most puzzling psychological cases. With their help, he must also challenge his own personal and social limitations by navigating all the expectations, politics and complicated relationships that come with the job.

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