'Star Trek: Discovery' Spinoffs Being Discussed by CBS All Access

Fan-favorite characters from the cast of Star Trek: Discovery on CBS All Access may eventually be getting the spotlight, as the streaming service seeks to expand the Star Trek franchise.

Following the CBS All Access presentation at the Television Critics Association press tour, CBS TV Studios president David Stapf, CBS All Access president/COO Marc DeBevoise and EVP Original Content Julie McNamara spoke to Deadline about the future of Star Trek and specifically about possible spinoffs from Discovery, the first Star Trek series on the platform and the first Star Trek television series anywhere in over a decade.

Two characters, in particular, were discussed: Michelle Yeoh's Phillipa Georgiou, the former ruler of the Terran Empire in the mirror universe who ended up coming to the prime timeline and joining Section 31, and Rainn Wilson's Harry Mudd, the cosmic con artist and scoundrel who originally appeared played by Roger C. Carmel in Star Trek: The Original Series. The CBS executives teased that there are lots of discussions taking place, but not much beyond that at this point.

"We've really talked about virtually all of the characters who popped in Discovery as potential spin-off shows," McNamara said. "It's obviously very much driven by our conversations with Alex Kurtzman's Secret Hideout and the other creators involved. I wouldn't say at this point that we are actively pursuing a Michelle Yeoh series but it has been discussed."

McNamara had something similar to say about Mudd. "He definitely falls in that category of it could be interesting to build around this character. But, I will say, it hasn't progressed any further than that," McNamara said.

"I think what you are asking is are we incubating things potentially, and the answer is yes and no," Stapf added. "There's not a grand design of 'lets plant a Rainn idea and see how that does.' It's more Secret Hideout and the rest of the Trek brain trust coming to us and saying, 'we think this would be really cool, storywise, characterwise.'"

Mudd will be featured in one of the four short films being released as Star Trek: Short Treks later this year ahead of the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 in early 2019, with Wilson himself directing the episode. In the past, Wilson has offered his own idea about what a Harry Mudd spinoff could look like.

"This is what I would like to see in season two, episode four or so: They bump into Mudd, he's got a merchant ship, he's got a crazy crew on the merchant ship, and he's getting into all kinds of trouble traveling around the galaxy trying to do little deals," Wilson explained. "And, boom! We've set ourselves up for a spin-off show. The Harry Mudd spin-off show. That would be my ideal."

The first season of Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream in its entirety on CBS All Access in the United States, through CraveTV in Canada and through Netflix in other international markets. Star Trek: Discovery Season Two is now filming in Toronto and will premiere in January 2019.

Which Star Trek: Discovery characters would you like to see get their own spinoff series? Let us know in the comments!