Star Trek‘s future could well be reliant on the past. After Picard revived The Next Generation, and Discovery led into Strange New Worlds, there’s been more talk of other revival and spinoff shows. Rumors of Star Trek: Legacy gained traction online, of course, and more recently, Star Trek: United – which would continue Captain Jonathan Archer’s story decades after Enterprise – came to light.
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Enterprise star Scott Bakula has once again addressed the growing fan fervour calling for his return to the Trek Universe as Archer — and this time, he’s made it clear that he’s more than keen on boldly going once more. While promoting his recent stage show The Baker’s Wife on NBC’s morning show Today (via TrekMovie.com), Bakula was asked about the “buzz” surrounding a potential Star Trek spinoff centred around Archer’s golden years, and the actor didn’t shy away from acknowledging his excitement at a potential return to Trek:
“Of course, I would love to do more of it. But I can’t clear up any rumors because I didn’t start them…. And they’re not planted… There’s just—people talk about stuff. According to Baluka, “Star Trek fans are spectacular, and ardent, and loyal. It’s fun to be around them. And they are running with something, a little piece of of information that went out and they are having a ball with it.”
Enterprise, Archer, and Why the Timing Matters
The concept for the potential new series was developed by Bakula and Enterprise writer/producer Mike Sussman. The series would reportedly follow Archer in the years after the events of Star Trek: Enterprise, during the early days of the United Federation of Planets. Bakula has stressed in previous interviews with TrekMovie.com, that nothing is yet in development, but in the recent Today interview he seemed touched by the passionate response from Trek fans who desperately want to see him return, saying that they are “spectacular, and ardent, and loyal,” while emphasizing that no official plans for Star Trek: United are currently in place.
Star Trek: Enterprise originally aired from 2001 to 2005, ending after four seasons and leaving several major story threads — including Archer’s potential role in founding the Federation — unresolved. In the decades following, Archer has become something of a retrospective fan-favorite captain as fans began to appreciate the often-untapped potential of Enterprise as a prequel. Star Trek has begun revisiting past characters and eras in recent years with shows like Star Trek: Picard and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds offering fans a new perspective on classic characters.
The United pitch taps directly into that need among fans for closure on some of the loose ends left by various Trek series over the years. TrekMovie.com has previously reported that, according to Sussman, the series would lean more into political drama and character-driven storytelling — something fans of shows like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine may find compelling. The idea of Archer guiding the formation of the Federation also offers a natural bridge between Enterprise and the timeline seen in the Original Series and beyond.
And with Paramount actively expanding Star Trek content for streaming, it may well be the perfect time for a concept like Star Trek: United to be brought to fruition — especially when being driven by cast members who want to return.
Archer’s Star Trek Return Isn’t Confirmed — But Momentum Is Real
It’s important to note that while Star Trek: United is not in active development right now, interest in Archer’s return has only grown. Polls, social discussions, convention chatter, and coverage across outlets continue to show strong enthusiasm for seeing Bakula return, despite it being over two decades since Enterprise ended.
And Bakula’s recent willingness to come back matters. Plenty of Star Trek revivals — including Picard — only came to fruition after years of speculation, fan support, and calls to bring characters back at the right moment. With new leadership in place at Paramount and the franchise continuing to expand, Bakula’s comments may have come at exactly the right time.
Do you want to see Jonathan Archer return in a Star Trek legacy series? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
Star Trek: Enterprise is currently available to stream on Paramount+.
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